Harry Slithers in Companion Stories
by Dragonson
Summary: This is a series of one-off stories to be read alongside my Harry Slithers in series. Unless you read them first this story won't make sense. Each chapter will be one characters POV of their time at Hogwarts during Harry's time in Slytherin. Chapter 1: Tracey Davis; Chapter 2: Albus Dumbledore. Later chapters from Sirius Black, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin amongst others.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 1**

Tracey Davis stood on the platform at King's cross railway station. In a few minutes she would be crossing onto Platform 9&3/4 to board the Hogwarts Express before beginning her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her brother Robert would soon be starting his 4th year and their mother had told him he was supposed to look out for his sister and their cousin Daphne Greengrass who was also starting her first year. Tracey doubted he would put much effort into it, however, since he had all his friends with him at Hogwarts, not that she would mind anyway.

While they were standing there Tracey noticed a boy who appeared to be her age and who seemed lost. She noticed he had an owl in a cage on his luggage trolley, a sure sign he was a wizard. She approached him. "Excuse me?"

The boy turned to look at her. He bright green eyes behind glasses, untidy black hair and what Tracey thought might be a scar on his forehead. Could this boy be Harry Potter?

"Yes?" he asked.

"Are you looking for the Hogwarts express?"

"Yeah, I am," he replied.

Tracey smiled at him. "It's right here. Follow me. I'm Tracey Davis, by the way."

"I'm Harry Potter. Are you a Hogwarts student?"

Tracey turned to him, smiling. She had been right after all. She hurried to where her mother and Robert stood watching her.

"Mum," she said when she reached them, "I just met Harry Potter. Harry this is my mother and that's my brother Robert."

"I'm Janet Davis. Tracey is starting at Hogwarts this year and I assume you are, too, since you looked lost just now."

"Yeah, I am. Nobody told me where the platform is," Harry replied.

"Just follow me," Robert said before pushing his trolley straight towards the back of the ticket booth between platforms 9 and 10. Harry watched as he seemed to disappear straight into the seemingly solid barrier.

"That's how to do it," Tracey said. She walked toward the barrier pushing her own trolley and walked on through. Once clear of the barrier she waited for her mother and Harry. Robert had already headed off to find his friends.

Moments later her mother and Harry appeared. Tracey almost laughed at the expression on Harry's face. It was a mixture of shock and happiness, almost as though he hadn't believed Hogwarts was real.

Harry and Tracey decided to sit together. As they were looking Tracey admitted she suspected who Harry was before she even spoken to him. They found a compartment and were settling in when Daphne Greengrass arrived.

"Hello, Tracey. Mind if I join you?" She asked while looking at Harry.

"Come on in," Tracey replied. "This is Harry Potter, by the way. Harry, this is my cousin, Daphne Greengrass."

"The Harry Potter?" Daphne asked. Tracey rolled her eyes.

"How many Harry Potters do you think there are who will be starting at Hogwarts this year?" Tracey asked. She couldn't help feeling a little annoyed with her cousin over such a silly statement.

Daphne sat down next to Tracey looking embarrassed. "Sorry. That was a silly question," she said.

Tracey then explained to Harry how she and Daphne were related. When the lunch trolley arrived she and Daphne bought some food but Harry seemed to be buying everything he could. Both girls were struggling not to laugh at him but Harry didn't seem too concerned with their response.

When he took out a chocolate frog Tracey said, "Be careful with that. It might jump out at you."

Harry stopped. "They're not real frogs; are they?" he asked.

"No, but they do jump," Tracey said, laughing. This time she couldn't help herself.

Harry opened the wrapping and caught the frog as it jumped out, quickly stuffing it into his mouth. As he chewed it he looked at the card underneath. Tracey could see that it showed a picture of Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. When Harry turned the card over, he read about Dumbledore's achievements which Tracey knew included his discovery of the 12 uses for dragon's blood. Harry said it also said that he assisted someone named Nicholas Flamel in research into alchemy.

"Do you collect chocolate frog cards?" Daphne asked.

"I've never seen them before. Hey, he's gone," Harry had just turned the card over and discovered Dumbledore's picture had vanished.

"Don't worry about it, Harry. In the wizarding world portraits always move. Give it a moment and he'll be back," Tracey explained.

When Dumbledore did return a moment later Harry said he was going to start collecting the cards. Tracey and Daphne each ate a few frogs and returned the cards to him so could start a good sized collection before reaching Hogwarts. Daphne explained he might be able to trade cards with other students since collecting cards was a popular pastime in the wizarding world.

Eventually they began talking about family. "Do you have any close family in the wizarding world?" Daphne asked Harry.

"Not that I know of," Harry replied. "I grew up with my mother's sister but she is not magical, nor are my uncle or cousin."

"It might be possible to find out if you do have any wizarding relatives. We could check through magical records later this year if you like," Daphne suggested.

"That would be interesting, yeah," Harry replied.

Further conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Tracey recognised the three boys outside immediately; Draco Malfoy and his goons Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle. Daphne spoke to the boys. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Hello, Greengrass," the boy in the middle said. "I heard a rumour that Harry Potter was in this compartment so I decided to come introduce myself." Daphne stepped away from the door and the three boys entered "I'm Malfoy; Draco Malfoy." The boy held out his hand to Harry.

Harry glanced at the Daphne, who seemed almost bored, and at Tracey, who was trying to hide her contempt for them, but she suspected she was failing.

Harry took Malfoy's hand. "Hello. It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Wise move Potter. You will quickly find out that some wizarding families are better than others," Malfoy said. "The Greengrasses, for example, are a good family to know. They are generally respectable and have a good family history." He pointed to the boy on his left "The Crabbe family are known for their loyalty but not their brains and the same is true for the Goyle family." Malfoy pointed to the boy on his right as he spoke.

"As you will discover there are a number of 'name' families in our year and you would be well advised to get on friendly terms with them. The first step to that would be to be sorted into Slytherin. It is likely that most of the people from the 'name' families will end up there. Well, I must be getting back to my compartment. We are nearly at Hogsmeade station." Malfoy turned to Daphne. "See you soon Greengrass, and you too Davis." With that Malfoy left, taking Crabbe and Goyle with him.

"Don't you like him?" Harry asked Tracey.

"He's a Malfoy," Tracey replied. "To him a half-blood like me is inferior. He is just a stuck-up ponce."

A short time later a girl with bushy hair and large front teeth entered their compartment. "Has anybody in here seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one," she said. Tracy noticed she was already wearing her school uniform, they must be nearly at Hogwarts.

"No, and haven't you heard of knocking?" Daphne replied, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

The girl seemed somewhat taken aback and mumbled, "Sorry, just asking," as she left. Daphne got up and closed both the door and the curtain after her.

"We really should get changed too," Tracey said to the room. She grabbed a small bag containing her school uniform. She was going to leave the compartment but then changed her mind. Here was an opportunity to determine if Harry was interested in her. Quickly she stripped down to her underwear well aware that Harry was watching her.

"Since you were watching Tracey so closely just now I think it only fair you should get changed here as well." Daphne said. Harry was obviously embarrassed as he changed into his uniform and when Daphne changed soon after Tracey could see he was trying (and failing) to not watch her. Tracey could barely contain her laughter.

"You know, Harry, you have no reason to be embarrassed about being caught watching girls getting dressed," Daphne said after she had finished. "It's only natural and neither Tracey nor I mind you watching us."

Tracey leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I am relieved you enjoyed that. Otherwise there would have been some very disappointed girls around," she said. Harry didn't seem to understand her meaning.

After arriving at Hogsmeade station the first years were herded towards a fleet of small boats by a giant of a man named Hagrid. Daphne approached a boy named Theodore Nott and invited him to join them. She introduced Harry and Theo and then pointed out a red-headed boy in another boat. She said he was a Weasley and that she had seen him watching Harry. The boy glared back at them.

After they disembarked the boats Hagrid led them the castle where they were greeted by a woman named Professor McGonagall. "In a few moments," she began, "you will pass through these doors into the Great Hall where the sorting ceremony will be held. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and I hope you will all be of credit to whatever house you may be sorted into. In the meantime you will wait quietly here and try to make yourselves presentable."

As she said this last part her eyes drifted over the students. Tracey noticed she lingered on a few students in particular before she left them.

Suddenly several people screamed and Tracey saw a number of ghosts drifting into the room. They were discussing Peeves the Poltergeist but stopped when they saw the students. One of the ghosts, a fat man dressed like a monk, addressed them. "Oho, what have we here? New students! Welcome to Hogwarts. I hope to see some of you in Hufflepuff."

Professor McGonagall returned at this point and shooed the ghosts away before requesting the students follow her. There were four long tables filled with students but they were led to the front of a fifth table at which the staff were seated. Professor McGonagall then placed a battered old wizard's hat on a stall in front of the first years. Everybody in the hall went quiet and seemed focused on the hat. Suddenly a rip near the brim of the hat quivered, formed a mouth and began singing.

At the end of the song the hat bowed to each of the tables before becoming still. "When I call your name you will sit on the stall and I will place the sorting hat on head," Professor McGonagall told the first years. "Abbott, Hannah," was the first name read out.

Tracey's name came up early in the list. She was happy about this since the longer you stayed at the front of the hall the more attention you received. She was sorted into Slytherin and then relaxed, waiting to see where Daphne and Harry were placed. She was delighted they both became Slytherins although most people seemed to be in shock over Harry's placement. Tracey, however, hugged him as he sat down while Daphne smiled broadly and gave him a light kiss on the cheek; even Malfoy nodded his approval.

Harry asked Tracey, "Why was everybody so quiet when I was sorted?"

"I don't know. I would guess people were just surprised you became a Slytherin," she replied.

"Why should they be surprised?" he asked. Tracey just shrugged. She really had no idea.

Next up came the welcoming feast. Tracey ate more than she usually would but even that was nothing compared to what some of the others ate. She ignored them, deciding it was none of her business, although she did ask Harry why he was eating so many desserts. She didn't exactly believe Harry's reason but didn't push it.

At one point Harry suddenly cried, "Ow," and pressed his forehead. Tracey asked him if he was ok. He said he was but this time she definitely didn't believe him. He tried to brush it off but she watched him for a couple of minutes, anyway.

Soon after he asked her "Tracey? Do you know the name of that greasy haired teacher next to Quirrell?"

"Don't let him hear you call him greasy haired," she said. "That's Professor Snape, our head of house, and he is known to get quite vindictive with people he doesn't like."

"I see. Thanks for the warning."

After they had finished Professor Dumbledore stood to make some announcements. One that particularly caught her attention was that a corridor on the 3rd floor was out of bounds "To those you wished to avoid a painful death," as Dumbledore had put it. Confused, Tracey looked at her fellow students. None of them seemed to understand either.

After they were dismissed an older boy Tracey recognised as her fellow first year Millicent Bulstrode's older brother called all the first years together and led them to the Common Room where he gave them the password. He then explained the house rules before telling them to meet at 7am the next morning where they would meet their Head of House, Professor Snape. With that they were sent off to bed.

Tracey would be sharing a dormitory with four other girls. Pansy Parkinson was a female Draco Malfoy, a snob who felt half-bloods like Tracey were inferior. Millicent Bulstrode was Pansy's Crabbe or Goyle, although she was somewhat smarter than either boy. Tracey didn't know Beverley Runcorn as well as the others but she did know Beverley's family were regarded as dark. Those three all took beds on one side of the room, Pansy in the middle, while Daphne and Tracey took the other two. Tracey guessed his would be their sleeping arrangements for the whole seven years they were at Hogwarts.


	2. Dumbledore

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 2**

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was preparing for the new school year. This year Harry Potter, the boy who had defeated Lord Voldemort nearly 10 years earlier, would be starting school. The initial contact with the Dursleys, Harry's guardians, had not gone well. Although Petunia Dursley, Harry's mother's sister and closest living relative, had taken Harry in she and her husband had not treated Harry well. Hagrid reported they had not told Harry anything at all about his parents and had in fact lied to him about how they had died. This was just one of many problems they would likely have to deal with in regard to Harry.

Dumbledore planned out how he would deal with Potter. Firstly, Harry would be met at Kings Cross by Molly Weasley and her family. Hopefully Harry and the Weasley's youngest son, Ronald, would become fast friends and this would lead to Harry being sorted into Gryffindor. This was the second part of the plan and would allow Dumbledore to plan exactly how to handle Harry once he was re-assimilated into the wizarding world.

At least that is what Dumbledore hoped would happen.

Shortly after 11am, however, Dumbledore received word from Molly that they had not met a boy matching Harry's description at the station. She said she had briefly caught a glimpse of a boy with untidy black hair just as he was pushing a trolley through the barrier but the boy was accompanied by a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Molly had not described the woman other than to say she had medium brown hair and a slim build. Dumbledore hoped it was Petunia but he was far from certain it was.

He relaxed a little when Hagrid told him that Harry had been with the other first years when he escorted them to the lake for their boat ride to the castle. He was with two girls and a boy and seemed to be friendly with them all. It was now obvious that someone else had helped Harry before the Weasleys had found him. It was just one of those chance random events that ruin the best laid plans. He hoped it wouldn't have too bad an influence on the outcome.

When Harry's name was called Dumbledore began paying more attention to the sorting process. Even though he was interested in all his new pupils Harry held particular significance. When the sorting hat called "Slytherin," Dumbledore couldn't help but show a small degree of shock. In that one second of time his carefully laid plans for Harry's future came crashing down around his ears.

A quick glance along the staff table showed he wasn't the only one surprised by this outcome, although some of his fellow staff were better skilled at hiding their shock than others. Hagrid in particular was clearly showing his feelings while Snape was glaring at Harry's retreating back with a look of utter loathing.

At the Slytherin table there was a general air of delight. Two girls, Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass, were especially happy to greet him. Both girls hugged him as he sat down while, a short distance along the table, Draco Malfoy was showing more restraint but was clearly just as happy.

After the sorting the feast began. Dumbledore concentrated on his meal while listening to the staff around him. A few were talking about the sorting but not many. The main topic seemed to be lesson plans for the year. Dumbledore was watching Snape who was currently talking to Quirrell. He had asked Snape to keep an eye on Quirrell because he suspected Quirrell might be working for Voldemort and that is what Snape appeared to be doing. From there Dumbledore turned to Hagrid but he was looking solely at his food and nothing else. Dumbledore could guess what Hagrid was thinking about though; Harry Potter.eadmaster of HogwartsHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhh

Dumbledore looked out over the students. At the Gryffindor table was Ronald Weasley who Dumbledore noticed would regularly glance at the Slytherin table with a look of displeasure, no doubt directed at Harry HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Potter, the boy who was meant to be a Gryffindor. Next Dumbledore looked at the Slytherin table. While doing that he briefly caught Harry's eye. He gave the boy a sad smile a saw look of confusion on his face.

After the meal Dumbledore gave the usual start of term notices then dismissed the students.

The first couple of months passed relatively quietly, although some students did try to open the door to the forbidden corridor. Dumbledore was quite certain it was the Weasley twins who had tried this but couldn't prove it. Not that it mattered anyway and Fluffy was trained to not pursue anyone once they left the corridor in which he was stationed.

Halloween, however, provided the first shock of the term when a troll was found in the castle. Quirrell claimed it was in the dungeons but it was in fact discovered in a hallway near a first floor girls' bathroom; and it was discovered by Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley who had gone in search of Hermione Granger, a first year Gryffindor girl. Working together the two boys managed to defeat the troll before any staff arrived. Dumbledore was both surprised and delighted that Harry was willing to help a student from another house who was in danger. Perhaps things weren't as bad as they had first appeared and Harry might still become the person Dumbledore wanted him to be? It seemed there was still hope for a desirable outcome.

Dumbledore had in his possession an invisibility cloak that had belonged to Harry's father James. The plan was to return the cloak to Harry, it's now rightful owner, as soon as Dumbledore was satisfied Harry could handle the responsibility but now he had decided to give Harry the cloak at Christmas rather than wait until he was older. Having done that Dumbledore waited to see how long it would take before Harry started using it to sneak around just like his father had.

The answer was a few hours. It was barely after midnight when the alarm in the restricted section of the library was activated. Nobody was found but Dumbledore was certain it was Harry. The fact that a few minutes later another alarm had been set off in the classroom in which the Mirror of Erised was being stored seemed to confirm it.

The following night Dumbledore went to the room with the mirror and waited. As he had expected Harry returned to the room, this time accompanied by Tracey Davis, a girl he seemed to spend all his free time with. Dumbledore waited quietly while they examined it, finally deciding to intervene when Tracey told Harry the secret of the mirror.

"A very fine deduction, Miss Davis. I am impressed."

Both Harry and Tracey started in shock and then turned around to face Professor Dumbledore.

"I didn't see you, sir," Harry said.

"Nor I," Tracey said.

"It really is quite remarkable how being invisible makes one so short-sighted," Dumbledore said, smiling benignly at the two first years.

"Sorry sir. We shouldn't be out this late," Harry said.

"Miss Davis, I must credit you on your logic in so quickly realising how the Mirror of Erised works. Many older, wiser people have wasted away in front of it, trying to figure out if what they see is real or even possible. You solved the riddle in a matter of minutes, a very commendable effort. To realise what the mirror does so quickly is outstanding, especially for someone as young as yourself.

"To explain more fully what you see. Harry, you see yourself with a loving family, something you have no memory of while Tracey, you see yourself as superior or, at the very least, as an equal with people who have often looked down on you."

"Does that mean the mirror shows us whatever we want to see?" asked Harry.

"Not quite. You see, the Mirror of Erised shows you the thing you want more than anything else in the whole world. But one must remember to live in the real world and not to become absorbed in the fantasies of one's mind.

"I am going to have the mirror moved tonight and I must ask you not to go looking for it. If you do indeed find it again you will know what to do and how to handle it. Now, I would recommend you both cover yourselves with that wondrous cloak and return to your Common Room, before someone else finds you here," Dumbledore said.

"Good night sir," Harry said as he placed the cloak over himself and Tracey.

"Good night, Professor Dumbledore," Tracey added as they left the room.

Dumbledore stayed in the room for the rest of the night but no other students came along. In the morning he moved the mirror back to the last chamber along the chain from the third floor corridor, using the secret tunnel direct from his office that only the Headmaster was allowed to access. This way he could bypass the security features protecting the chamber and, at the same time, avoid being caught doing it.

The New Year brought no new surprises. Indeed it seemed as is if nothing out of the ordinary was happening at all at Hogwarts. This at least enabled Dumbledore to keep up to date with the Ministry of Magic. The Minister, Cornelius Fudge, often asked Dumbledore for advice and, although it was less than enthralling, Dumbledore always obliged with advice and even the occasional visit.

It wasn't until the third term that anything out of the ordinary happened. Hagrid was acting suspiciously and Dumbledore believed he may have a new dangerous creature he was trying to raise in his cabin. Dumbledore decided not to do anything at first but to wait until something happened.

The day after Ronald Weasley was admitted to the hospital wing with an infected wound the mystery was solved when an unsigned note was delivered to his office. The note said Hagrid had a dragon in his cabin and that it had bitten Ron. Dumbledore was certain the letter was from Harry Potter even though there was no name on it.

A visit to Hagrid's cabin confirmed it was a Norwegian Ridgeback, a type of dragon with venomous fangs. This explained everything and Dumbledore helped arrange for the Dragon's secret removal from the school. This was accomplished but not without Draco Malfoy being caught by Professor McGonagall who did not believe the story he told. Dumbledore took no interest in the punishment.

June meant exams. While the staff and students worked diligently in this area Dumbledore was able to concentrate on other matters.

On the last day of exams he received an owl asking him to come to the Ministry of Magic urgently. Although he was not entirely convinced it was genuine he decided to go just to be sure. He travelled to the Ministry at a leisurely pace but when he arrived he found nobody there was expecting him. It was now clear it was a diversion to get him away from the castle.

Dumbledore hastened back to Hogwarts and headed directly for the third floor corridor. As he reached it he was met by Hermione Granger and Tracey Davis who were carrying a groggy Ron Weasley.

"Where is Harry?" Dumbledore asked, then added, "Has he gone after him alone?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "He asked us to alert the staff that Quirrell is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone and get Ron to the hospital wing. Ron's been knocked out by one of McGonagall's chess pieces."

Dumbledore sent them to the hospital wing before climbing through the trapdoor. He easily bypassed the security features and hurried into the chamber where he found Harry being choked by Quirrell who had also clearly been badly hurt. He dragged Quirrell away and watched as the man's body crumbled before his eyes while checking to see if Harry was alive.

Dumbledore did nothing while Voldemort's spirit extracted itself from what was left of Quirrell's body and fled from the chamber. Instead he concentrated on saving Harry. Once Harry was stabilised he transported the still unconscious boy to the hospital wing where he found the other three students.

"Is Harry…?" Tracey began but Dumbledore cut her off. "Harry will be fine. He will need time to recover from his ordeal, however. Poppy? Do you have enough potions or should I ask Severus to make some more?"

After quickly checking Harry she replied, "I have enough for now I think. The replacement potions can wait until morning. I have checked Miss Granger's wrist and it will be fine by morning. Miss Davis has done a fine job over taking care of it. Thank you for your help, Miss Davis but I must ask both you and Miss Granger to leave so I may tend to my patients."

A few days later, after Harry had regained consciousness, Dumbledore had a long conversation with him where he explained several things but he was careful not to give Harry too much information. No matter how mature he seemed or how well he had handled the situation he was still only 11 years old and didn't need to be burdened too much bad news. Dumbledore felt Harry needed a few more years to mature before he learned the truth about everything.

At the end of year feast Dumbledore made an announcement that caught everybody by surprise. He announced that since Gryffindor and Slytherin students had worked together so well their houses should share the house cup for the year. This announcement left a lot of confused people, students and staff, but he felt it was the right thing to do, and he was the Headmaster, after all.


	3. Tracey

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 3**

Tracey settled in with her new dorm mates. As a half-blood she often felt as if the others, Pansy and Beverly especially, looked down on her. Millicent was also a half-blood but she and Pansy got on well together.

She remained good friends with Harry and she tried to spend as much time as possible with him. By the end of the first week, however, it became apparent this was causing some strife among the boys.

It was a conversation she overheard in part at lunch on Friday that made her realise this. She was eating lunch and not paying much attention to her year mates until she heard Harry speak.

"Sorry, guys," he said. "I heard my name mentioned."

Tracey looked over as Malfoy shrugged. "Whatever, Potter. You should spend more time with us, though. After all, Davis is a girl and, if you spend too much time with girls, you might become one."

The other boys laughed. Tracey glared at them causing even more laughter from the group. Harry turned to her and shrugged. After that he started to spend more time with the boys. For her part Tracey spent more time with Daphne, although she still studied with Harry whenever she could.

Nothing significant happened after that until just before Halloween. A few days before the holiday she noted Harry seemed quieter than usual. She decided to ask if he was ok.

"Harry? I have noticed you seem less excited about Hogwarts lately. Is something wrong?"

Halloween is coming up soon," he said. "My parents died on Halloween, and this will be the 10th anniversary of their deaths."

Tracey now realised what was wrong. She decided to give him time to mourn. She knew Harry wasn't treated well at home and this would probably be the first time he had been able to mourn his parent's deaths freely.

Halloween itself proved the turning point in her relationship with Harry. Hermione Granger, a Gryffindor 1st year, had locked herself in a toilet after an argument with Ron Weasley, another Gryffindor 1st year. During the feast Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall shouting about a troll in the dungeons. After few moments of panic the students were sent back to their Common Rooms. Since the Slytherin Common Room was in the dungeons their prefects had led them to the hospital wing but Madam Pomfrey had sent them back under escort. When they reached the Common Room Tracey realised Harry wasn't there. Quickly it was revealed he had taken off with Ron Weasley to find Granger. Tracey was worried what would happen when he got back.

When Harry entered he heard Draco call out, "Oh look, Potter's here."

Before Harry could do anything two older students grabbed his arms and hauled him to a chair where they pinned him down. Another older boy pushed a snake into his face and said, "We are going to teach you some pride in your house, Potter. It's not our job to go running after mud-bloods from other houses. In Slytherin we look after our own. In order to prove you belong here you will have to kiss this snake."

"Kiss the snake, Potter," someone else yelled.

Tracey could see Harry was terrified. The snake hissed at him but then something amazing happened; Harry hissed back to the snake. Tracey, along with everybody else, realised what this meant: Harry was a parselmouth.

Harry took his eyes off the snake, looked at the boy holding it and said "The snake doesn't want me to kiss it."

"Ok. No problem," the boy said. It was obvious he was scared. The others all backed away from Harry who stood up and took a step towards the table on which the food had been placed. The students between him and the table moved out of his way. He hurried to the table, grabbed a couple of chicken legs and quickly walked towards the dormitories.

After Harry had left there was a lot of nervous muttering. Tracey heard Pansy saying Harry must be the Heir of Slytherin and start talking about etiquette lessons for him. Malfoy was directing Crabbe and Goyle to collect a plate of food for Harry as well as themselves and then led them towards the dormitory. Once they had gone things settled down somewhat.

Tracey and Daphne got some food and settled to discuss what had happened. "Do you Potter really is Heir of Slytherin?" Daphne asked.

"You saw him talking to that snake," Tracey replied. "There aren't many parselmouths around so it is a distinct possibility. I wonder if he would be willing to help other half-bloods by reminding the pure-bloods that we are just as good as they are?"

"Are you going to talk to him about it?"

"Yeah," Tracey said. "I'll wait until morning, but I will be speaking to him as soon as possible."

That night Tracey pretended to go to sleep. Once everybody else had settled down she donned a dressing gown and robe and headed to the Common Room where she lay down on a couch in front of the fire. When Harry came in early the next morning Tracey sat up and said, "Morning, Harry."

Harry started slightly. "Oh, Hello Tracey. You're up early."

"I was hoping you'd come down early. I would like to talk to you about some things, if you don't mind?"

Harry joined Tracey on the couch near the fire. "What would you like to talk about?"

"You know, as the Heir of Slytherin, you have certain 'privileges'," Tracey said. "For example, if you say that half-bloods are to be treated the same as purebloods then you can make it so. I don't know if you've noticed this but the pure-bloods seem to think they are superior just because they have two wizarding parents."

"My parents were a witch and a wizard," Harry said.

"But your mother was muggle born. To the pure-bloods that makes you a half-blood. Haven't you noticed they seem to exclude you or leave you until last when choosing things?"

He nodded. "Now that you mention it I have noticed it a bit. I never really thought about it before now."

"I certainly have. Pansy especially looks down on me. And Millicent does whatever Pansy tells her to do while Beverly is just a snob. Apart from Daphne none of the girls treat me very well. If you, as the heir of Slytherin were to say that we half-bloods deserve the same respect as the pure-bloods it would make things a lot easier, wouldn't it?"

"I guess so," Harry said after a moment's thought.

"Thank-you, Harry. By the way, Pansy is after you. She mentioned something about lessons in wizarding etiquette."

Harry sighed. "That might not be too bad. I should learn as much as possible about modern wizard culture, I guess," he said.

"Anyway, I should get back to bed. It is still very early, and it is a holiday," Tracey said before heading up to the girl's dormitory.

Once there Tracey quietly slipped into bed. It seemed no-one had noticed her absence because, when the others got up, Daphne asked her, "Are you going to talk to Potter this morning?"

"I already have. I met him in the Common Room earlier."

Daphne looked surprised. "You must have got up early."

"Actually, I slept there. Don't tell anyone though, especially Pansy."

Since the start of the year Tracey had been accompanying Harry on regular visits to Hagrid's cabin. Although she didn't have much of an opinion of Hagrid he was a useful source of information. It was on one of these visits they learnt about Fluffy, a giant Cerberus who was guarding something for a wizard named Nicolas Flamel. This was the reason why a corridor on the third floor was about-of-bounds. After unintentionally letting this slip Hagrid had shooed them out of his cabin. They decided that, until they had more information, they would leave this topic alone.

After the Gryffindor v. Slytherin Quidditch match which Gryffindor had won comfortably Harry was asked to trial for the team in the New Year. Tracey congratulated him on his achievement.

Tracey's birthday was mid-December. By dropping subtle hints, and with a little help from Daphne, she managed to convince Harry to buy her a birthday present. At the same time she was working out exactly what to get Harry for Christmas. The answer came to her when she observed Harry's 'casual clothes' – a random collection of ill-fitting second hand garments that totally didn't suit him. With Malfoy's help she obtained Harry's sizes and then set about forming a group of students to coordinate their purchases thus giving Harry a complete new wardrobe.

Initially the group was herself, Draco, Daphne, Blaise and Theo but word got around and soon Pansy had signed on as well. Tracey's brother Robert then got involved and he was able to get nearly everything for them on a Hogsmeade visit. That left only the muggle garments which her mother was able to pick up for them.

As she and Harry were the only Slytherin 1st years staying at Hogwarts for Christmas Tracey decided to surprise Harry by sneaking into his dormitory after he had fallen asleep. There were six beds in the room with Harry asleep in one in the corner. She climbed into the empty bed next to his and fell asleep.

Next morning, as Harry got out of bed, Tracey called out to him. "Morning, Harry."

"Tracey! What the hell…"

"Well, since you are the only first year boy and I am the only first year girl staying over and boys can't get into the girl's dormitory, I thought I'd come join you. Whose bed am I sleeping in, by the way?"

"That's Blaise's," he said.

"Do you mind me sleeping in here?"

"Not really, although what about your brother and the other students? Won't they object?"

"Only if they find out, and I'm certainly not going to tell them; are you?"

"No. I'd get in at least as much trouble as you would. I was about to have a shower so if you don't mind?"

"I guess I should go back to the girls' dorms for a shower rather than stay here. Although, if they are separate cubicles, it won't really matter anyway," Tracey said.

"There are two separate cubicles in there and the walls go all the way from the floor to the ceiling and the doors lock from the inside. I guess it might be ok if you stay here for your shower."

Tracey did shower in the ensuite but made certain to lock the door just in case. She needn't have bothered, however, as Harry behaved like a gentleman.

On Christmas Eve Tracey returned to her own dormitory. The next morning, after opening her own presents, she visited Harry to explain his presents to him. While there Robert joined them. Tracey noted he didn't seem surprised by her presence.

After lunch Tracey spotted a sprig of mistletoe and waited near it until Harry noticed her. Luckily he took the hint and they had their first kiss under the mistletoe, much to the amusement of everybody else in the Common Room.

Later that day Harry told her he had received a strange cloak from an unknown person. Curious, she went with him to the dormitory where they discovered it was an invisibility cloak. Tracey left Harry to use it alone that night but the following morning he told her where he'd gone and how he had discovered a strange mirror in a disused classroom. They decided to return that night to investigate.

The mirror was called The Mirror of Erised. It took Tracey only a few minutes to figure out what it did and it was right after she explained it to Harry that they discovered Albus Dumbledore was in the room with them. Dumbledore explained more fully what the mirror did and then allowed them to return to the dormitory with only a warning.

Distracted by what had happened, Tracey forgot she was in Harry's dormitory and undressed in the room with him instead of going into one of the shower cubicles as she usually did. While she was changing she and Harry talked about their adventure. She only remembered where she was when she turned around and caught Harry watching her closely. As she was only wearing a pyjama jacket at the time she knew Harry must have seen almost everything but it was too late now to do anything about it. She did decide, however, from now on she would sleep in her own dormitory.


	4. Tracey, end of Year

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 4

The second term began much the same as the first had ended. They still hadn't figured out who Nicolas Flamel was but Harry was certain he knew the name. The answer came in an unexpected way. The day the other students returned to Hogwarts from their Christmas break Daphne gave him a stack of chocolate frog cards. Daphne didn't collect them herself and these were all surplus cards her sister Astoria had collected. It was while he was looking over the new cards he found one of Dumbledore and, reading the back, he found Nicolas Flamel's name.

"Tracey. Come look at this," Harry called.

When she joined him showed her the card and said, "I found Flamel."

She read the card and said, "So that's where we'd heard the name before. We should have been looking in alchemy, not potions. Right. I wonder if there are any books on alchemy here? It s not a subject studied at Hogwarts."

"Hey Potter," Theo called as he walked past.

"Hey Nott. Have a good holiday?"

"Not bad, yeah," Theo replied. "Hey, I tried looking for information about that Flamel guy but couldn't find anything really important, just that he is an alchemist. I checked a couple of books on alchemy but it seems he hasn't done anything important recently."

"That's ok. Daphne solved the problem for me. Flamel and Dumbledore worked together in alchemical studies. From what you told me now that must have been before Dumbledore started teaching here."

"Ah. That explains why there is no recent information. Dumbledore's been here for over 50 years," Theo said before going to his dormitory.

"So we should start looking through records of alchemical discoveries from over 50 years ago, if we want to figure out what Fluffy is guarding," Tracey said.

A couple of weeks later Harry called her over to show her something. "I've found out what Fluffy is guarding," he said when she sat down next to him. "It is Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone."

"Can I see that?" she asked. Theo, too, was now paying close attention and moved to read over Tracey s shoulder.  
"The Philosopher's stone is used to convert base metals into gold and can be used to make something called the Elixir of Life. Drinking it supposedly makes you immortal," Harry explained.

"Unlimited wealth, and an unlimited life to enjoy it," Theo said. "I want to steal it now. Just think of what you could do with something like that."

"Unlimited wealth, yeah," Tracey said. "Think of all the good you could do. Solve poverty worldwide, restore all sorts of famous buildings. I don't know about never being able to die, though. I'm not sure that would be such a good thing."

"I don t know," Harry said. "If you could turn lead into gold all the time, wouldn't it eventually result in gold becoming as worthless as lead? What good is that? And never dying wouldn't be as good as it sounds. What if you had an accident that left you crippled? I doubt even a Philosopher s Stone could heal injuries like that."

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I've changed my mind. I wouldn't want a Philosopher's Stone," Theo said.

"Somebody does want to steal it, though," Harry said. "I guess having it for a short time might be useful in some circumstances, if you needed money or something like that in a hurry. The question is: who wants to steal it and why?"

The Quidditch match against Ravenclaw saw Harry make his debut. Tracey watched and, when Harry suddenly went into a near vertical dive, she gave a loud gasp and pointed. She saw him fall off his broom inches from the ground but he came up holding the snitch, much to the delight of all the Slytherins; especially Tracey.

Over the next few weeks Tracey and Harry were rarely apart. This led to Draco Malfoy reminding them of the discussion from earlier in the year about Tracey being Harry's master but both rejected it, until Draco pointed out Harry almost never had an idea of his own. It was nearly always Tracey who brought something up first.

Early in the third term, during one of their visits to Hagrid s cabin, they were surprised to see smoke from the chimney and that all the curtains were drawn, even though it was a hot day. Harry knocked on the door.

"Oh 'ello Harry. I'm kinda busy at the moment. Things to do; you know," Hagrid said when he answered the door.

"We were just wondering what you were doing reading up on dragons. And why is the fire lit when it's so hot outside?" Harry asked. The heat coming from Hagrid s cabin was quite intense.

"Alrigh', come in, but don' expect many answers," Hagrid said.

It really was hot and dark inside. "Hagrid," Tracey began, "can we open a window, please?"

"Er, no, not jus' now," Hagrid replied. "Would yeh like a cup o' tea?"

"No thanks. I'm warm enough already," she said.

Harry, meanwhile, was looking at the fire place. "Hagrid? What is that in there? It looks like an egg."

"Tha's not important," Hagrid said evasively. "How are yer subjects goin'?"

"Pretty well," Harry replied.

"Hagrid? Isn't that a dragon egg?" Tracey, who had approached the fireplace, looked shocked.

"Er, yeah it is. Tha's not important, though. How are your classes goin', Tracey?"

"I'm doing ok; but dragon eggs are illegal in Britain. Didn't you know that?" she said.

"How did you get it?" Harry asked.

"I won it off a bloke in a pub. He told me it was a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're really rare."

"What did this person look like?" asked Harry.

"Dunno. He kept his hood up the whole time. Tha's not that unusual at the Hogs Head," Hagrid added when he saw the expressions on the student s faces. Because it was so hot they decided to leave at this point.

It didn't take them long to realise they weren't the only students who knew about the dragon egg. Over the weekend they noticed Weasley and Granger heading to Hagrid's cabin. Clearly they knew about it too. Over the next week or so Harry and Tracey took turns watching Hagrid and the Gryffindors who were visiting almost daily. They realised the egg must be hatching when Weasley and Granger headed to the cabin during morning break, something they had never done before. Tracey and Harry were planning on going as well until they saw Draco approach the cabin right behind the Gryffindors. They decided to wait.

That evening in the Common Room Harry asked Draco, "Why did you go to Hagrid s cabin this morning?"

"I was following Weasley. Hagrid will be in so much trouble when everybody finds out what he's doing," Malfoy replied, looking smug.

"Has the egg hatched?" Harry asked.

Draco turned to him in shock. "You know about it?"

"Yeah. It's a Norwegian Ridgeback. I am aware of what he's doing and I think he's an idiot for doing it but, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I'm going to let it go," Harry said.

Several days later they found out Ron Weasley was in the hospital wing. They didn't know what had happened but it was a safe bet it was dragon related. Draco confirmed this after visiting Weasley to ask if he could borrow a book which he then showed to Harry. In the book was a note. Apparently the dragon was to be moved secretly later that night. Draco intended catching the Gryffindors in the act but Harry told Tracey he had sent an anonymous note to Dumbledore using a school owl telling the Headmaster everything. Draco's plan backfired. The Gryffindors got away with it while he got a detention.

Later Harry told Tracey he had visited Hagrid and had found out many things. Most importantly the Philosopher's Stone had several layers of protection. All the Heads of House and Quirrell had helped out.

After Malfoy had returned from his detention Tracey was shocked to hear what he had encountered in the forest. This new information made her wonder if this monster might be after the stone. Quickly she realised the two were connected and Harry said he thought Voldemort might be behind it. He explained he had been getting weird surges of pain from his scar and decided to see if there was a pattern to them. Tracey agreed to help him out by assisting him in keeping notes. From these notes they soon realised somebody in the castle, probably one of the teachers helping guard the stone, was probably helping Voldemort.

As the year progressed Quidditch and final exams took precedence. It was after the last exam that Harry told hear of his theory about the stranger who gave Hagrid the dragon s egg.

"I think the person who gave Hagrid that dragon egg might be the one after the stone," he said.

Tracey realised what he was saying. "We need to see Hagrid, now."

They ran to Hagrid's cabin. "Hagrid," Harry called.

"Hello, Harry; hello Tracey. How are yeh?"

"Hagrid, when you won that dragon egg, did you talk to this man about anything?"

"Yeah. We talked all sorts of things, what I did; what types of animals I had here. Why are yeh askin'?"

"Did you talk about Fluffy?" Tracey asked.

"Yeah. He asked me how I handled some of the animals an' I told him after Fluffy a dragon would be easy. I told 'im it was jus' a matter of knowin' what to do. Like wi' Fluffy all yeh do is play some music an' he'll drop off to sleep jus' like that. Wait, forget I said that."

"We've gotta go," Harry said as he and Tracey ran back to the castle.

When they reached the castle the first person they encountered was Professor Snape, one of their main suspects.

"What are the two of you doing in here?" Snape demanded.

"We would like to see the Headmaster, sir," Harry replied.

"What reason might you have for such a request?"

"We believe someone is trying to steal the Philosopher s Stone," Harry said, feeling very nervous.

Snape was surprised. "I have no idea how you found out what was being stored in this castle but I assure you it is perfectly safe. The Headmaster received an urgent call a short while ago and has left for London and will not be back until tomorrow. Now return to where you are supposed to be before I put you both on detention." Snape marched off down the corridor leaving Harry and Tracey in his wake.

"What do we do now?" Tracey asked.

"I'm going after the stone. Tonight, after everyone else is asleep, I am going to try and get past Fluffy and the other obstacles and retrieve the stone," Harry said.

"I'm coming too," Tracey said. "If nothing else I can stop Fluffy. I'll need to borrow that flute Hagrid gave you at Christmas, though."

"Alright. For now I think we should go back to the Common Room. I'm going to need the cloak and the flute. After that I really don't know what will happen."

That evening Tracey joined Harry and crept out of the Common Room and made their way to the third floor. When they arrived they met Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

"We have to stop Snape stealing the stone," Ron said.

"What can we do, though?" Hermione replied.

"What are you doing?" Harry said as he stepped out from under the cloak, pointing his wand at the Gryffindors who both jumped back in surprise.

"We were trying to stop Snape stealing the Philosopher s Stone," Hermione replied.

"In that case we re all on the same side," Tracey said as she removed the cloak and lowered her wand.

"You re going to help us?" Ron asked, sceptically.

"You might put it that way," Harry said. "After Fluffy, what are your plans for the rest of the protection barriers the teachers put up?"

"We are just going to play it by ear," Hermione said.

"Right. Harry, open the door for me," Tracey said.

Harry cast "Alohomora" and the door swung open. Tracey then started a perfect rendition of Greensleeves. Fluffy barked once and then fell asleep.

"Well, let's open the trapdoor then," Hermione said. Harry and Ron moved one of Fluffy s paws aside and opened the trapdoor in the floor. The whole time Tracey was playing the flute.

"We should have brought brooms," Harry said as he stared into a seemingly bottomless pit. "I guess we have to jump."

This led to a series of traps. After the chess game Tracey stayed behind to tend to the injured Ron while Harry and Hermione went after the stone. Tracey managed to revive Ron and helped him back to the room where they had bypassed the enchanted keys. Before entering this room Hermione joined them. She explained Harry had gone on alone and that it was Quirrell who was trying to steal the stone.

Taking a broom each Tracey and Hermione carried Ron out the trap door, past Fluffy and into the castle. Soon they met Dumbledore.

"Where is Harry?" Dumbledore asked. He then added, "Has he gone after him alone?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "He asked us to alert the staff that Quirrell is trying to steal the Philosopher s Stone and get Ron to the hospital wing. Ron s been knocked out by one of McGonagall s chess pieces."

Tracey and Hermione helped Ron to the hospital wing where they were joined half an hour later by Dumbledore who was carrying an unconscious Harry. It was two days before Harry was able to talk and Tracey was his second visitor; Dumbledore had beaten her to it.

Harry told her everything about what had happened. When he said that Voldemort was attached to the back of Quirrell's head she shrieked and Madam Pomfrey chased her out. It was only after Dumbledore intervened she was able to visit him again.

At the end-of-year feast Tracey was awarded extra house points but the same was extended to several other students resulting in a tie between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Tracey, like all her housemates, felt hard done by but there was nothing they could do.

The trip home on the train was uneventful and when they reached King's Cross she said goodbye to Harry before joining her mother and brother for the journey home.


	5. Start of Year 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 5: Start of Year 2 Tracey**

Tracey was becoming concerned about Harry. Early in the holidays she had sent him a letter but had not received a reply. A week later she sent another one but still no reply had been received even though she had included her home address if Harry had needed to use muggle post instead of an owl. Early in the third week of the holidays she had contacted her mother and told of the situation. Mrs. Davis' enquiries revealed that Harry's mail was being stopped by an unknown person. A trap set up by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement discovered it was a house elf employed by the Malfoys who was the thief.

The Malfoys took several steps to resolve this issue and even offered to host Harry's birthday party at an upmarket restaurant in the "rich people's" section of Diagon Alley; a part of the Alley that very few people ever bothered to visit because everything was more expensive than elsewhere in the Alley. Tracey had never been to the Gilded Galleon before but she had heard of it. Her mother had been there before marrying but, because she had married a muggle, her family had excluded her for several years. That situation had only changed a few years ago when Tracey's uncle Cyril had become Head of the family. Tracey, her mother and Robert would all be attending the dinner as would the Greengrass'.

The dinner party itself went well and, after it was finished, Harry returned with the Malfoys to Malfoy Manor where he would be staying until they visited Diagon Alley again for their school supplies after which Harry would be staying at Greengrass Manor until the school year began. Tracey would be staying at the Manor as well.

The shopping trip proved to be a surprise. While they were there they had learnt that Gilderoy Lockhart, a self-promoting publicity hound who had been at Hogwarts around the same time as Tracey's mother, would be teaching DADA that year. Tracey's mother spoke of her displeasure at this and told them a story of her own time at Hogwarts which Tracey and Harry both found amusing.

While they were there Tracey also learnt that Ginny Weasley would be starting at Hogwarts that year and that she apparently had a crush on Harry. Tracey decided she would need to keep an eye on the Weasley girl.

The stay at Greengrass Manor had been enjoyable but they were all looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. Robert had been made a prefect and had a new girlfriend and he was especially eager to be able to spend more time with her. Tracey found this funny considering he was staying with her family for the last couple of weeks of the holidays.

The train ride was uneventful except for Draco turning up and advising them of a muggleborn 1st year with a camera who was making a nuisance of himself. Tracey, Daphne and Harry managed to avoid meeting this boy on the train thanks in part to a warning they received from Ron Weasley. He, along with Hermione Granger, joined them in their carriage for the ride up to the castle.

Once everyone had settled in they sat talking quietly until Professor McGonagall entered leading a line of 35 first years. Ginny Weasley stood out plainly among the first years – she was the only red head in the group. Tracey noted they all seemed as nervous as she had felt the previous year.

After the sorting hat's song (Tracey realised it was different to the one it had sung last year) Professor McGonagall began reading the names. One of the first to be called out was a tiny, mousey haired boy named Creevey, Colin. When the boy stepped up to the hat Draco said, "That's the boy with the camera from the train." They were relieved when the boy was sorted into Gryffindor.

During the feast Tracey learnt Harry had been dropped as seeker and would have to trial for the position again. She hoped he would get straight back onto the team.

Slytherin were scheduled to have their first DADA lesson with Lockhart on Wednesday but before they even got to class they had reason to believe Lockhart would be a terrible teacher. Apparently Lockhart gave the 2nd year class of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs a ridiculous test that had nothing to do with his subject and then he'd released a cage full of pixies without giving the students any instructions on how deal with them. In the ensuing chaos a couple of students had been injured while Lockhart had run off and abandoned his students. There was speculation amongst the Slytherins they may not even have a lesson from Lockhart since there were already people saying he should be sacked for incompetence.

The Slytherins had DADA with the Ravenclaws straight after lunch on Wednesday. Lockhart had not been sacked although there was a rumour he had been given a reprimand by Dumbledore about not teaching his students proper technique before exposing them to danger. As it turned out DADA class started off the same way as it had for the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students but, instead of releasing a cage full of pixies, Lockhart had simply told them about his own first encounter with them. In fact the students didn't even need their wands for the class. After it many students complained that DADA looked as if it would be as boring as History of Magic was.

Next day they had their first potions class for the year. It was no different than the previous year had been and Tracey and Harry were happy to get out of class and out into the grounds afterwards, stopping only long enough to get something to eat. Unfortunately for them Lockhart was also outside during the lunch break.

"Well, well, Harry Potter. A pleasure to meet you outside of class, and Miss Davis, too," Lockhart said when he spotted Harry and Tracey sitting in the grass near the entrance.

"Hello, Professor," Harry replied warily. Tracey looked on, her expression neutral.

"I hear you are a member of the Slytherin Quidditch team; Seeker isn't it?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

"I was a Slytherin myself, and I played Seeker too. If you ever want any one-on-one coaching please feel free to come by anytime. I'm always willing to help special people improve their skills."

"I think I'd prefer to stick to team trainings, thanks. I find that it's better if all the team trains together, rather than individuals going off doing their own thing."

"Perhaps then I could come to a training session? That way everyone on the team will get the benefit of my expertise. I'll have a word with Severus and arrange something through him," Lockhart said before walking back into the Castle.

"Can you believe him?" Tracey asked. "How arrogant is he? Maybe he should see Snape? I'm sure Snape will put him in his place."

"I'll speak to Flint tonight at trials," Harry said. "Flint will undoubtedly tell Snape and then we can have a good laugh at Lockhart."

Later Tracey discovered Draco was the new seeker and she, along with Harry and Daphne, wondered if the Malfoys had ordered their house elf to steal Harry's mail but they had no way of proving it so they let it go.

Saturday saw a near confrontation in the library. It came about after Hermione Granger had asked Draco why he was on the Quidditch team instead of Harry. Malfoy had then called her a mud-blood. None of the Slytherins present made any attempt to support Malfoys opinion and this managed to avert any problems.

As the group headed to the Great Hall for lunch they met Hagrid who was carrying a dead rooster. "Hello Hagrid. What's that?" Harry asked.

"I found it outside the chicken coop jus' now. Looks like someone killed it on purpose," Hagrid replied.

"Who'd want to kill a rooster?" Blaise asked. The others agreed.

"Dunno," Hagrid replied. "I was goin' to see the Headmaster about gettin' some better spells around the coop so it doesn't happen again."

Hagrid left for Dumbledore's office while the students continued on to lunch.

It was as they were leaving the Hall after lunch that Harry heard something. It sounded like a voice but there was nobody in sight. He stopped to listen and this caught the others' attention.

"Harry? Is something wrong?" Tracey asked.

"I can hear a voice. It sounds cold and heartless, like it's threatening someone," Harry replied.

"What voice?" Theo asked. The others also seemed confused.

Harry looked at them. "Can't any of you hear that?"

"No," Theo finally said.

Harry said, "I can definitely hear something. It is getting fainter, like it's moving away."

"I still can't hear anything," Tracey said, sounding worried. "Harry, are you feeling ok?"

'I feel fine," he replied. "It's gone, I can't hear it anymore."

Slowly Harry started walking towards the Common Room along with the other students. He couldn't understand why nobody else could hear it since, to him. It had been quite plain. As they walked along the corridor to the Common Room Tracey said, "Look at those spiders."

"What about them?" Theo asked.

Tracey pointed to a long line of spiders all crawling towards a small crack in a window high above their heads. The spiders all seemed to be in a hurry and looked as if they were trying to push each-other out of the way so they could escape.

"That is strange," Theo commented. "Maybe a rat or something died up there and they are all hurrying to lay eggs in the body?"

"I guess so. Let's go," Harry said as they continued along.

{}{}{}

Halloween was approaching. One day shortly before the holiday Tracey asked Harry, "Do you have any plans for commemorating your parents this year?"

"Not really," he replied. "Last year was special, it was the first time I actually knew the truth about how they died and it was the 10th anniversary so it was something special but this year is just another Halloween. It doesn't have any particular significance." Tracey nodded in agreement.

As they were leaving the Great Hall after the Halloween feast the Slytherins noticed a large group of students clustered around the top of the Grand Staircase that led to the Castle's upper levels. Curious, they climbed the stairs. As they made their way up several startled shouts and screams were heard. Malfoy pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his usually pale face flushed with excitement. "Enemies of the Heir beware. You'll be next mud-bloods," Malfoy shouted.

Harry could now see there were huge, shining letters written on the wall. They read, 'The Chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware.'

Just then Argus Filch, the Caretaker shoved his way into the middle of the students. "What's all this?" he demanded. Suddenly he stopped, staring at something immediately below the writing. Harry gasped. Hung on a torch bracket, like some horrific symbol of evil, was Mrs. Norris; Filch's pet cat.

Students were quickly ushered away and it wasn't until the following morning they were told that Mrs. Norris had in fact been petrified. Dumbledore then appealed for any information about any unusual activities going on in the castle. Tracey couldn't help feeling worried about it.

The next Saturday Slytherin were down to play Hufflepuff. Malfoy would be making his debut as seeker. When the game began it looked as if Malfoy was more interested in showing off than catching the Snitch. Tracey was wondering about this when Harry said, "Malfoy better pay attention to his job or he could end up making a fool of himself."

"Relax Potter, Hufflepuffs are useless. Malfoy might as well have some fun," Crabbe said.

"Maybe," Harry replied, "but if he doesn't turn around he'll miss the snitch." Harry pointed to a space about 10m behind Malfoy.

"There's nothing there, Potter," Crabbe said.

"No, Potter's right," Blaise said.

Just then they heard a shout from Slytherin captain Flint. "Malfoy, behind you, you idiot."

Malfoy turned around just as the Hufflepuff seeker Cedric Diggory shot past him. Harry could see the look of shock on Malfoy's face as he turned but it was already too late, Diggory caught the snitch while Malfoy was still several metres away giving Hufflepuff the win by 150 – 80.

After Malfoy's embarrassing mistake it took only a few hours for Harry to be back on the team. Tracey couldn't help feeling smug about this.

The next day they discovered a student had been attacked and petrified. Even more shocking, a ghost had been petrified as well. Nobody could work how this had happened and this seemed to cause more fear than the fact that a muggleborn student had been attacked. The tension among the students of all four houses was obvious.

Lockhart was the only person who appeared unconcerned over the attacks. "Now, now, there is no need to look so worried," he said at the beginning of their next lesson. "As long as I am here and you all follow instructions there is nothing to worry about. Why, it's only a matter of time until I identify the culprit. Once that happens it will all be over. I must say, too, that the culprit would be very wise if they stopped now before I catch them. It is easily their best option." Nobody took him seriously, however.

Tracey and Daphne undertook a reconnaissance mission around where the attack had occurred. They even talked to Moaning Myrtle, a ghost who haunted the bathroom right by site of the attack, but failed to turn up any useful information.


	6. Companion Stories: Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 6: Tracey**

The next Saturday Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw at Quidditch but it was after the match that the students suffered another shock. A Gryffindor 1st year had been attacked and petrified. It seemed the camera he was holding had saved his life, although the film was totally destroyed so there was no evidence of who (or what) had attacked him.

Malfoy made his opinions clear in the Common Room when Snape came to tell them of the attack. "Sir," he began, "it seems to me that only mu-ggle-borns are being attacked. Shouldn't we all be safe from attack because of our blood status?"

Snape glared at Malfoy, something he had never done before. "Do you have any information that may be relevant to this matter?"

"No, sir," Malfoy replied.

"Then kindly keep your opinions to yourself. The staff and pupils already suspect that it is a Slytherin who is responsible. I sincerely hope this is not the case since our house is already viewed with suspicion and distrust by the other houses. Already there have been calls for all Slytherin students to be suspended until the culprit is caught. Fortunately wiser heads prevailed and no such action is planned at present."

After Snape left Tracey and Harry discussed using Harry's invisibility cloak. They decided to wait a few days before proceeding, however, due to the tighter security being put in place. When the search did take place they found no useful information so they decided to set it aside for a while.

A couple of weeks later an incident occurred in potions. Harry and Tracey were working on the table in front of Crabbe and Goyle. Knowing how unskilled the two boys were they were occasionally checking behind them to see if anything was amiss but everything seemed to be alright until suddenly there was a loud bang behind them. Somehow Goyle had managed to cause his potion to explode and everybody around them, Harry and Tracey included, were drenched in the nearly finished potion.

"Everybody who has been affected by the potion please line up calmly and quietly so I may administer the antidote," Snape said over the noise.

Tracey and Harry managed to get near the front of the queue where they received their dose of the antidote before returning to their table while it took effect.

Once everyone was back to normal Snape dipped a ladle into Goyle's destroyed cauldron and fished around until he scooped something out of it. Harry could see it was clearly the remains of an exploded firecracker. Tracey felt a surge of anger when she realised it had been a deliberate act of sabotage.

Snape was just as angry. "When I find out who is responsible for this," he began in a deathly whisper that nonetheless everybody heard, "I shall personally see that they are expelled." The last part was spoken in a much louder voice.

Back in the Common Room there was much anger over this deliberate act of sabotage.

"We know it was a Gryffindor who threw that cracker," Malfoy said. "That whole class of Gryffindors should be suspended until the person responsible confesses, then that person should be expelled."

"Don't those idiots even realise how dangerous that sort of thing is?" Theo said.

"Of course they don't. All Gryffindors are stupid," Pansy replied.

"And Goyle's cauldron is liable to explode anyway, even without that kind of stupidity," Blaise put in.

"No it isn't," Goyle said.

"Yes it is Goyle," Malfoy replied, scathingly. "Go read a comic while we sort out what we're going to do."

"I only wish we could prove which one of them did it," Theo said.

"Whoever it was they must be really stupid," Harry added. "Crabbe and Goyle copped the worst of it but Tracey and I got badly hit too. In fact over half the class was injured because of their stupidity."

"How many of those who were hit with the potion were Gryffindors? Blaise asked.

"Not many. At least it looked like most of those lining up for the antidote were Slytherins, there weren't many Gryffindors in the group," Theo replied.

"But there were some though, right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, one or two," Theo replied. "Undoubtedly most of the victims were Slytherins and all those badly affected were Slytherins. The Gryffindors who needed antidote seemed only to have been hit by stray splashes of potion, not direct contact with it."

"We know a Gryffindor was responsible. I think we should concentrate our efforts into finding who did it and then finding a way to target that person specifically," Harry put in. "I doubt Snape would stop us taking revenge on an individual if we could prove they were responsible."

"Do you think there might be a way to trick whoever is responsible into revealing themselves?" Daphne asked.

"Probably not," Malfoy said, "but there are other things we could try. I know Snape has several strong truth potions in his office. If one of us could sneak in there and 'borrow' some we could put it in the Gryffindor's food and ask them."

'What types of potions does Snape have?" asked Harry.

"He's bound to have some Veritaserum. I think that's the strongest and most reliable potion available for use in interrogations."

"Okay, even if we manage to get some, don't you think it likely Snape will notice if something like that goes missing?" Theo asked.

"We could replace it with something that looks the same. Hopefully it would take him a while realise a switch had been made," Malfoy told the others but clearly many disagreed with him.

"Snape would probably know the moment someone entered his office or storeroom," Theo said. "I wouldn't be surprised if the doors were booby-trapped to set off an alarm the moment someone entered one of them without permission."

"I daresay Theo's right there, Malfoy," Harry added.

"Even if they aren't booby-trapped I'm sure he'd notice if one of his potions vials was moved even an inch from where they normally are," Theo continued.

"We need a better plan," said Daphne. "Anyway, even if we did manage to get some of the potion and identified which one of them was responsible, whoever we tell is going to want to know how we found out who it was. How will we explain that?" Everyone realised Daphne was right.

That evening, as they were finishing their homework, Tracey was searching for something in her bag. After a few minutes she said, "I can't find my bracelet, you know, the one with the silver clasp and the gold chain. I know I had it on this morning and I took it off as we went into potions to keep it safe, but now I can't find it."

"Maybe it fell out of your bag during class?" Harry offered.

"I hope that's all it is," she replied. "I'd hate to lose it, and it is quite valuable both in actual value and sentimental value."

"It's not yet curfew. Perhaps you could go look for it in the classroom?"

"I think I will. I'd better see Snape first, though. I don't want him to accuse me of trying to steal things from the classroom." Tracey left the Common Room and went to Snape's office. She told him she had lost something and he gave her permission to enter the classroom. While there she found the bracelet and decided to have a quick look in some of the cupboards. In one she found several old potions books with had been annotated by their previous owner. Out of curiosity she took the book for their year to read up on the changes.

When she returned to the Common Room she took Harry aside and told him of her discovery. "While I was there I decided to have a quick look in the storage cupboards in the room," she explained. "I found a complete set of potions text books and they had all these extra notes in the margins. I doubt Snape would mind me borrowing the book for our year so I grabbed it."

"In other words, you stole from Snape," Harry said.

"Not stole; borrowed. I intend to return the book once I've tried out some of the suggestions the last owner made for improving their results. It can't hurt, after-all." Tracey had mischievous glint in her eyes as she spoke.

"Do you think you'll get away with it?"

"As long as I'm careful and don't do anything stupid, I should be alright. Do you want to borrow it if it does improve my grades?"

"I think I'll reserve judgement on that for now," Harry replied. "If it works then maybe I'll take a look at it too."

Tracey used the book in their next potions class and noticed an immediate improvement in her grades. After copying the variations into her own textbook she returned the other book to Snape's classroom while letting Harry copy the notes into his own book.

Soon after they learnt that a duelling club was being set up. Almost everybody decided to join but they were very disappointed to discover Professor Lockhart would be running it. Inevitably the club was a disaster that ended with Harry having to speak to a snake that Lockhart had aggravated to stop it attacking a student. As of this moment the whole school knew Harry was a Parselmouth and immediately many people accused him of setting Slytherin's monster onto muggleborns.

Tracey's birthday a few days later was much the same as last years' had been. She, along with a few friends including Harry, shared a cake her mother had sent her while she opened her presents. Harry gave her the advanced potions textbook when there was nobody else around as well as a brand new eagle feather quill and colour changing ink. Tracey was delighted with the present and said Harry could borrow the book once she had finished adding the extra notes to it.

The last day of term saw another student attacked. Pansy Parkinson was first to discover the victim and she was taken to Dumbledore's office for an interview and when she returned she said the staff were looking at closing the school.

Christmas holidays were upon them. There were only about 30 students staying for Christmas with half of them being Slytherins. It seemed most other students were afraid of staying behind. This meant that Malfoy started hanging out with Harry and Tracey whenever he wanted intelligent conversation.

Christmas dinner was its usual noisy affair. After most people had finished eating Crabbe and Goyle stayed behind for more food. Half an hour later Draco went to find them. When they returned Tracey noticed Crabbe and Goyle were acting strangely.

Her suspicions aroused she made up an excuse to leave the Common Room. What happened next showed she was right.

When she reached the deserted Entrance Hall she paused, deciding where to go. She could hear a banging coming from the broom closet by the Main Doors and was going to open it when she heard running footsteps coming from the corridor to the dungeons. Quickly, she ran up the main staircase into the castle proper. At the she top stopped and looked down to where she could see Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom wearing oversized Slytherin robes. They were placing shoes on the floor outside broom closet.

Tracey stepped back out of sight. She waited until the two boys climbed the stairs and hurried down the corridor away from her. Tracey was going to follow them but they turned off into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom so she went to the door instead. Leaning against it she could faintly hear voices.

"Hermione, we've got loads to tell you," Ron was saying. "Potter is the Heir of Slytherin but he says he's not the one attacking muggleborns. I think it might actually be Malfoy."

Tracey burst into the room, wand pointed at the Gryffindors. "Care to explain what you were doing in the Slytherin Common Room just now?"

Ron and Neville both looked startled at her arrival. Neville was still wearing Slytherin robes which tried unsuccessfully to hide from her.

"Alright then," Tracey began. "Let me see, you brewed some illegal Polyjuice potion then knocked Crabbe and Goyle out and shoved them in the broom closet in the Entrance Hall after stealing their robes and shoes. Then you used the Polyjuice potion to impersonate them so you could infiltrate our Common Room. And I'm willing to bet you lot had something to do with that exploding cauldron in potions class a couple of weeks ago, too."

"Well… we didn't take their robes but… um, apart from that, yeah," Neville mumbled.

Tracey nodded. "Granger, I know you're in there, come out."

"No. Um, I'd rather not," Hermione said. She sounded terrified.

"Fine," Tracey said. "Just FYI, Harry is the Heir of Slytherin but he is not responsible for those attacks on muggleborns. He, along with Theo, Daphne, Blaise and myself are attempting to identify the culprit so we can get them removed from the castle. Granger, I'm not going to speak to a door much longer. Remember all I have to do is go to Snape and all three of you would likely be expelled."

A lock clicked and the cubicle door opened. Tracey couldn't believe her eyes. "Granger, what on earth happened to you?"

"It was cat hair,' Hermione said through sobs. "Millicent Bulstrode must have a cat and it was a hair from it that I used."

"Millicent does have a cat, its name is Pixie," Tracey said. "If you were planning on infiltrating our Common Room as her you were lucky. The Bulstrodes are in Italy at the moment and she couldn't have come back early even if she wanted to, and she wouldn't anyway."

"You call this lucky?" Hermione wailed.

"If you had gone into our Common Room as Millicent everybody would have known you were an imposter. You would probably have been knocked out, stripped naked and thrown into the lake. Then you would have been taken to Snape's office."

"In that case, yeah, we were lucky," Ron said.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked.

"Firstly, you need to take Granger to the hospital wing. While you're doing that I'm going to free Crabbe and Goyle, then I'm going to decide what I want from you in exchange for not telling Snape about your exploit," Tracey said smiling evilly.

"So you're going to blackmail us?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose so, yes," Tracey replied.

Ron and Neville led Hermione to the door. As they were about to leave Moaning Myrtle poked her head through the door of another cubicle. "Oh, you're leaving," she said. "I was so enjoying it too. It's not every day I see someone with a tail."

Later she told Harry all this while planning how to get revenge over the Gryffindors.


	7. Tracey Davis: Severus Snape

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 7: Year's End**

Tracey decided to ask each of them for something different. The opportunity to speak to them all came up about six weeks later.

"Hey, Weasley," she called to Ron when she found him with Hermione and Neville one day in early February they were returning from Hagrid's hut while she and Harry were heading out for a visit.

"What Davis?" Ron replied.

"Remember Christmas?" Ron nodded. Hermione and Neville both looked on nervously. Harry stood back to admire her work.

"Fred and George seem to know a lot about the castle. They seem to know their way around far better than would be reasonable for a student. What I would like from you is exactly how they gained this knowledge. I want a list of locations and passwords for secret doors or corridors and tunnels, including the kitchens."

"That will take ages," Ron complained. "Fred and George won't just give me that information simply because I asked for it."

"There's no hurry," Tracey continued. "As long as I get it by Easter you'll be in the clear and any information is better than no information. It shouldn't be too difficult to get at least some of what I'm asking for. If you put in a reasonable effort I'll be happy."

Ron shrugged. "Alright. I'll see what I can get. Let's go."

"Hermione, Neville," Tracey continued. "All I want from you is help improving my grades. Neville, you're good at Herbology so that's what I want from you and Hermione, I want help with Transfigurations, especially the practical side of the subject."

Both agreed but Ron complained, "Why have they got it so easy?"

Before Tracey could reply Harry interrupted, "Actually, Ron, Hermione hasn't got off that lightly; Transfigurations is Tracey's weakest subject. It will take some work for her to improve Tracey's marks."

Tracey looked angrily at Harry before marching off towards Hagrid's cabin. When he caught up she turned to him. "Why did you say that in front of Gryffindors?"

"Well," Harry began, "it is true and I was making sure Ron didn't try and get away with a half-hearted effort. This way he knows he isn't being treated unfairly and will probably put in a little more effort."

"I wasn't going to let him off that easily," Tracey replied. "I still expect him to put in a reasonable effort and come up with something useful. I was going to say I was going easy on her because of the accident with the cat hair."

"Ok then. Please forgive me for speaking out of turn," Harry said by way of an apology.

Later that day Tracey and Harry heard Filch shouting angrily. A quick investigation revealed Moaning Myrtle had flooded her bathroom. Tracey asked Harry to help her turn off the taps and while they were doing that she asked Myrtle what was wrong.

"Have you come to throw something else at me?" Myrtle wailed from her cubicle.

"We haven't thrown anything at you," Tracey replied, trying to soothe Myrtle. "Has somebody else thrown something at you?"

"I was just sitting here in my cubicle thinking about death when somebody thinks it's funny to come in here and start throwing things at me," Myrtle moaned as she emerged from her cubicle.

"What did they throw?" Tracey asked, trying to keep Myrtle talking.

"A book," she wailed. "It got washed out, it's over there." Myrtle pointed to a small, black book laying in the corner of the bathroom. Harry went to pick it up. He found it was a diary. The name on it was T. M. Riddle and it was clearly very old.

"Did you see who threw it?" Tracey asked.

"No!" Myrtle screeched. "I was in here minding my own business when…" Myrtle turned and dived back into the toilet, splashing more water over the already saturated floor.

'Well, we'd best be going," Tracey said, turning to Harry. "Now you know why nobody comes in here unless they have to. They left the bathroom.

"Potter, Miss Davis. What do you think you're doing?" Professor McGonagall demanded as they left.

"It's my fault, Professor," Tracey explained. "We heard Filch's shout and came to see what was wrong. Mr. Filch had left all the taps running so I asked Harry to help me turn them off."

Professor McGonagall looked sternly at Tracey. "Very well. As I'm sure you remember there have been a number of attacks, most of them in this area. You should have stayed away from here until the staff had investigated the matter, just in case there was something dangerous here. You may go."

Tracey and Harry hurried away from the bathroom. Fortunately McGonagall hadn't noticed the diary in Harry's hand or, if she had, she had assumed it was Harry's. Either way they now had possession of an unusual item that somebody else had tried to dispose of and now they were determined to find out what it was.

Once safely away Harry and Tracey looked through the diary. The date on it was 1943, exactly 50 years ago but it was completely blank. Whoever T. M. Riddle was he hadn't written anything in it; at least not in any easily recognisable way.

They remembered that Draco Malfoy had told them the Chamber of Secrets was last opened 50 years ago. This made them think the diary might have useful information on that incident so they redoubled their efforts to discover the diary's secret. They asked if anyone had heard the name T. M. Riddle before and were told his name was on an award for special services to the school and that he had once been head boy. Other than that they were unable to learn anything new or important about him.

They studied the diary carefully but it wasn't until Valentine's Day they figured out how to use it. Lockhart had announced at breakfast he had employed a group of Dwarves to deliver personalised Valentine's Day cards. This seemed to anger the staff as much as the pupils and Tracey and Harry made a pact not to send each other one. Unfortunately for Harry Ginny Weasley did send him one. It was after this debacle, during which Harry had spilt a bottle of ink over his books, that they realised the diary could absorb ink. Out of curiosity they tried writing to the diary.

He took out his quill and ink and wrote 'Hello' on the first page. The word glowed faintly in the candlelight before disappearing from the page. A moment later the word reappeared, but in a different writing style. Tracey gasped while Harry stared in amazement.

Next Harry wrote, 'My name is Harry Potter.'

The words glowed once again then vanished. This time a new phrase replaced it. 'Hello Harry Potter, my name is Tom Riddle.'

Tracey grabbed the diary and wrote, 'My name is Tracey Davis.'

Her words were replaced by, 'Hello Tracey Davis. Are you and Harry Potter a couple?'

"This diary has its own consciousness," Tracey said. "Be careful, this could be very dangerous."

"How can a diary be dangerous?" Harry asked.

"People will put curses on anything they want to protect. If Tom Riddle wanted to hurt someone who found his diary there are many things that could happen. He might pretend to be a friend while leading you down a dangerous path to self-destruction."

"Ok then. Do you think we should answer the question?"

Tracey thought for a while. As she was doing this new words appeared in the diary. 'You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I am merely curious.'

Harry wrote, 'We're friends.'

'Friends are always good to have,' the diary wrote back.

Next they asked about the Chamber of Secrets and it was here they discovered the truth. The diary showed them how Tom Riddle had caught Hagrid whom he claimed was responsible for the attacks during his time but Tracey immediately realised it story was false. This made them suspect Tom Riddle was in fact the killer.

Quidditch temporarily disrupted their plans but, after Slytherin defeated Gryffindor Harry was able to concentrate on the diary. Tracey hadn't done much on her own during this time but she had by no means forgotten about it. Her marks had improved thanks to the help provided by the Gryffindors and a discussion with them soon after the Quidditch match was what finally led to their next discovery with regard to the Chamber of Secrets.

In this conversation Hermione had claimed Tracey and Harry had something that belonged to Ron's sister. They showed her the diary and confirmed it was the item in question. Next they showed her how to work it and explained why they couldn't let Ginny have it back. Hermione agreed with their decision and told Ron it wasn't Ginny's diary.

Next they spoke to Myrtle and, while in her bathroom, they discovered the entrance to the Chamber. A visit to the library where Tracey asked Madam Pince about books on magical snakes led to the discovery the monster was a Basilisk, a giant snake. Harry realised how all the clues they had gathered over the year now fitted together and they took their information to Professor Snape who brought Professor Dumbledore in.

After a thorough explanation from Harry and Tracey during which they said they thought Ginny Weasley had been possessed by the diary and was, therefore, not responsible for her actions Dumbledore settled on a solution to the problem. They decided Harry would lead the teachers into the Chamber where Dumbledore would kill the Basilisk with a rooster. The date was set and, while Tracey sat in Snape's office with Professor Sinistra; Harry, Snape and Dumbledore entered the Chamber and killed the Basilisk. They gathered souvenirs, mainly fangs, from the Basilisk and Snape collected some of the venom for his research before returning to Snape's office. Harry gave Tracey one of the fangs before they left for the Common Room.

{}{}{}

Severus Snape sat in his office. He was finishing up some work for Madam Pomfrey who had asked him to restock some of her medicinal potions. It was routine work but he wanted to finish as soon as possible so he wouldn't be late for the welcoming feast. He hoped this year wouldn't produce any surprises like the previous year had. Snape had never expected Harry Potter would be in his house but it had happened and now he was stuck with the brat.

Happily for Snape this time there were no surprises; he got all the students he expected and no others so he settled back for another quiet year although, with Gilderoy Lockhart now teaching as well, he knew some things were bound to go badly. Snape couldn't understand why Dumbledore had employed the fool instead of allowing him to teach the subject. There were other competent potion makers available who could teach students but Dumbledore just ignored them.

Around Halloween things started going wrong. As students and staff were leaving the Great Hall they discovered Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, had been attacked and petrified. On the wall was a note stating the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

Between then and Christmas three students and the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, were petrified. Snape found himself busy protecting some of his students from threats and accusations from students of other houses while trying to find out if it was one of his students who was responsible. Things were not helped in this respect when Harry Potter revealed during a duelling club meeting that he was a Parselmouth, although this did lead to his other students no longer being threatened by their peers.

After Christmas things went quiet again with nothing significant happening until after Valentine's Day. Not long after this day Tracey Davis and Harry Potter, accompanied by Theodore Nott, came to his office claiming they had solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets.

When they mentioned the monster was a Basilisk Snape decided to contact Professor Dumbledore. After the Headmaster had arrived they listened to the full story. Snape was surprised and impressed by his students' efforts but kept it to himself. The meeting ended with a plan to kill the Basilisk.

On the first Saturday of the 3rd term Snape, along with Dumbledore and Harry, entered the Chamber and killed the Basilisk.

Near the end of the year Snape finally received some good news. Professor Lockhart had been arrested and his lies exposed. With him gone Snape finally thought he would have a chance to relax and get into his regular routine, something he was very happy about.


	8. 8 Sirius Black

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 8: Sirius Black**

It was just another day in Azkaban for Sirius Black. Ever since he had been imprisoned without so much as a trial for murdering his best friend James Potter and James' wife Lily as well as 12 muggles and Peter Pettigrew, who was of course the real murderer and was still alive and free, all Sirius had to hold on to was the knowledge of his own innocence. Not that anybody believed him of course.

He sat in his cell trying to hold onto what was left of his sanity. The only reason he still had any was because he knew he was innocent – the Dementors fed on negative emotions but knowing he was innocent was not a negative emotion. It was what allowed him to resist their effects.

One day in what he thought was mid-July he heard human voices nearby. He recognised Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, and guessed the other voices belonged to aurors. Sirius had long given up on trying to convince Fudge of his innocence but at least this would allow him to speak to another human and perhaps find out about what was happening in the outside world.

"Ah, yes of course, Sirius Black," Fudge said as he stood outside the cell containing Azkaban's most notorious prisoner.

"Hello Minister," Sirius said in a weak, croaking voice. It had gotten that way from lack of use.

Fudge appeared to take a deep calming breath before replying. "Good morning, Mister Black. How are you today?"

"Same as always," Sirius replied. "Nothing ever changes in here."

"Well, I best be off. I have many other prisoners to visit today. Good day, Mister Black."

"Minister?" Sirius began. "Is that today's Daily Prophet?"

"Ah, yes it is," Fudge replied, pulling the newspaper out from under his arm.

"Would you mind if I had a look at it? I do miss having no newspaper here. I miss doing the crossword."

Fudge looked uncomfortable but, after a few seconds, passed the paper through the bars into Sirius; cell. "Thank you, Minister," replied Sirius.

Fudge walked away down the corridor. As he left Sirius heard him talking to the aurors with him. "I come out here every year to inspect the scariest place on the planet, Williamson, and the scariest thing here isn't the Dementors guarding it but one of the prisoners they are guarding."

Sirius smirked. So Fudge thought he was scarier than any Dementor.

Turning to the newspaper Sirius read the front page. The lead story was about Arthur Weasley, the person in charge of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Mr. Weasley had won the Daily Prophet's Annual Grand Prize Galleon Draw. Apparently the Weasleys had decided to spend their windfall on a holiday to Egypt so they could visit their eldest son, Bill, who worked there as a curse-breaker for Gringotts' Wizarding Bank.

Sirius scanned the article. It showed a picture of a large group of people, Mr. Weasley, his wife and their seven children. Sirius shook his head; he had never known the Weasleys all that well but he did know they had a huge family and that they had often struggled to make ends meet. If they had fewer children they would not have faced the same level of difficulties but it never seemed to faze them.

While he was looking at the picture something caught his eye. There, sitting on the shoulder of what looked like the youngest boy, was a rat. A rat that Sirius had no trouble recognising. He had seen Peter Pettigrew transform into his animagus form so many times during their time at Hogwarts and in the years after they had left that he had no trouble recognising him. Peter Pettigrew, the man who had handed James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort and had then murdered 12 muggles and faked his own death to avoid capture, and in the process had framed Sirius leading to him being sent to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit, was sitting there, in his animagus form, smiling at the camera.

Shocked, Sirius said out loud, "He's at Hogwarts. He's there."

Sirius decided there was only one thing he could do. The Dementors always opened the door when they delivered food to the prisoners and, since they were blind, they relied on other senses. He already knew that when he turned into a dog they could hardly even notice him. He formulated a plan: the next time they opened his cell he would slip out past them as a dog and escape the island. He knew Azkaban was a long way from the mainland and he didn't know if he could swim that far but he had to try.

Even he was surprised how well the plan worked. Once in the North Sea he headed west towards the British coast and, after a swim lasting several hours, he dragged himself onto a beach somewhere on the east coast of England. Or was it Scotland? Having reached shore he had no real idea of where he was so he decided to start heading south.

Still in dog form in case there were aurors checking the area Sirius journeyed for a couple of hours before realising he was starving. As a dog he rummaged through a rubbish bin near a rest area on a quiet road. He started drinking direct from a nearby stream.

After two days he had regained enough strength to continue his journey south. During that time he found a few newspapers which told him he was in south Lincolnshire near the town of Skegness. Using this as a reference he began his journey south toward Little Whinging; the town in Surrey in which his godson Harry Potter was now living.

The trip to Little Whinging took nearly a week but he managed it without anyone suspecting him. He arrived in the early evening and began trying to find the house Harry lived in. he wasn't really sure what he would do when he got there but, at the moment anyway, it seemed like the right thing to do.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he saw a boy dragging a heavy trunk along the road. The boy looked like James, Harry's father, and he seemed upset about something. Silently, he followed Harry pausing only when Harry stopped and sat down on his trunk. Deciding the time had come Sirius started walking towards him but apparently Harry heard him. The boy pulled out his wand and cast "Lumos."

The bright wand-light showed Sirius in full dog form. Startled, both parties took a step back. Unfortunately for Harry this caused him to trip over his trunk. A moment later an enormous purple bus appeared and its headlights flooded the alley in which Sirius was standing with bright light. Sirius bolted down the alley away from Harry.

After that abortive attempt to approach him Sirius knew there would be essentially no chance of contacting Harry outside of school. Resigned to this fact Sirius started out on the long journey back to the north, hoping he might get another opportunity to see Harry after he returned to Hogwarts.

The journey north took over a month. Sirius was in no hurry since school wouldn't begin until the 1st of September and it was only mid-August and then there was the fact that security was bound to be tighter than usual at the start of the term anyway so it made sense for Sirius to take is time.

When he reached Hogsmeade he realised there were Dementors stationed around the school. This surprised him and he wondered if Dumbledore had been overruled by the Ministry of Magic. He doubted Dumbledore would approve of a selection of the most dangerous creatures in the world being unleashed upon a school full of children and teenagers so it seemed likely.

Eventually he discovered the Shrieking Shack was not being guarded by the Dementors and that the tunnel from it into the school grounds was still open. This gave him free reign to enter the grounds whenever he wanted to or to travel around the district and town at will.

The first Hogsmeade visit occurred on Halloween and Sirius was able to approach close to Harry but the presence of several other students made him stay out of the way. He did learn some things, however. By careful investigation he discovered Pettigrew was living in the Gryffindor Common Room and so, that evening, he entered the castle while everybody was in the Great Hall and made his way up to Gryffindor tower. Unfortunately for him he didn't know the password and, when the Fat Lady refused his access his frustrations overflowed and he forgot himself and attacked her portrait. By the time regained control he had badly ripped the portrait and knew he was now in a lot of trouble.

He fled the castle and returned to the Shrieking shack but stayed only long enough to cover any evidence of his presence. For the next week he slept in caves before deciding it was safe to return. He decided on a more cautious approach; perhaps if he could talk to Harry somewhere away from the castle he might be able to convince his godson of his innocence?

The first opportunity came on the day of the first Quidditch match. Unfortunately the weather was terrible and, although nearly everybody came to the game, there was no chance for Sirius to get any more information and, to make matters worse, the Dementors invaded the pitch. After they were removed by the staff Sirius returned to the shrieking shack.

The next Saturday conditions were vastly different and he was able to watch the Slytherin v. Ravenclaw match. Several Ravenclaw students sat around him clearly thinking he was just a stray dog that had wandered onto the grounds so he was able to watch the match while enjoying his first human contact in a very long time. The match ended when Harry, who was playing seeker for Slytherin much to Sirius' disappointment, caught the snitch. He and the Ravenclaw seeker then collided in mid-air which caused the Ravenclaws around him to call for Harry to be penalised and for their seeker, a girl named Cho Chang, to be awarded the catch. Sirius laughed. Harry had done nothing wrong and, if anything, the penalty should have gone against Chang for striking Harry after the match had ended. His barking laugh apparently made the Ravenclaws think he was agreeing with them which made him laugh even more.

About a month later Sirius saw large numbers of students heading towards the gates to the grounds. Realising this must be another Hogsmeade weekend he decided to wait outside the grounds and try to catch Harry alone but the opportunity never arose. When he did see Harry he was with a boy who could only be a Malfoy along with a number of other students whom Sirius was sure were the children of Death Eaters.

Nearly all the students were going home for Christmas but by observing from the fringes of the forest he learnt that Harry would be staying. It seemed as if there was only one other Slytherin staying, a girl with possibly brownish hair who Sirius had seen with Harry several times. Sirius assumed this might be Harry's girlfriend and felt much more comfortable with this knowledge.

One afternoon he observed Harry and this girl walking together by the lake and decided to approach them. When he stepped clear of the forest he pretended to be a nervous stray dog. His plan worked perfectly; neither Harry nor the girl, whom he now knew was named Tracey, suspected anything as they invited him into the castle.

The next week or so were the best Sirius had experienced in years. Harry and Tracey always made sure he had plenty of food and, by listening to their conversations, Sirius learnt that Remus Lupin was now the DADA teacher and that Snivellus (Severus) Snape was potions professor and Head of Slytherin house. He also learnt that Harry either owned or had access to the Marauder's Map.

On the 30th of December Harry and Tracey took Sirius to Hagrid's hut and asked if Hagrid could take care of 'Scruffy' (the name he had been given by the students). That evening Sirius crept out of Hagrid's hut while Hagrid was absent (probably visiting the local pub) and entered the castle, making his way to the DADA office where he knocked on the door.

"Come in," Lupin said from inside the room. Sirius transformed into his human appearance and entered.

"Sirius!" Lupin shouted when he saw who was standing there. In the barest fraction of a second Lupin's wand was pointing at him.

"Hello, Remus," he began. "Can we talk before you kill me?" Sirius' voice was weak from lack of use.

"Stay there, Black, and keep your hands where I can see them," Lupin said as he moved toward the fireplace, reaching for the jar of floo powder he kept next to it.

"Remus, please listen. Just give me one minute to explain."

"One minute, then I call Dumbledore."

"I have been sleeping in the Slytherin Common Room for over a week. Harry and Tracey have been feeding me every day. I am not here to hurt Harry; I am here to protect him."

Lupin looked utterly shocked. "You've been sleeping here, next to Harry, for over a week?"

"Not exactly. I sleep in the Common Room, Harry sleeps in the dormatories with Tracey sleeping in the bed next to him. They are sharing a room."

Lupin returned to his desk and sat down, a look of shock on his face. "What are you doing here then?"

"Protecting Harry, just like a godfather is supposed to. Remus, Peter is here too. He was James and Lily's secret keeper, he was the one who betrayed them to Voldemort and he's here at Hogwarts pretending to be a pet rat for the Weasley family. I saw him in this picture." Sirius gave Remus the newspaper clipping showing the Weasleys in Egypt and pointing to the rat sitting on Ron's shoulder.


	9. 9 Remus Lupin

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 9: Remus Lupin**

Ever since his parents had died during the Wizarding War Remus Lupin had been struggling through life. As a werewolf he had always struggled to find employment and recent legislation approved by the Ministry of Magic hadn't helped him.

He decided to apply for the DADA position at Hogwarts. If successful he would have a stable source of income for the best part of a year – easily the best position he had been in financially since he was a child. His parents hadn't been wealthy but they had enough income to support the family and be able to put some aside for a rainy day. That day had come a few weeks before Harry Potter had been born, when Remus was 20 years old and death eaters had attacked the family. His father had survived the attack but had been badly hurt while his mother had been killed.

Less than a year later the Death Eaters had caught up with them again. Remus' father had died as had three Death Eaters but, because he was 21 years old, Remus had not received any financial compensation beyond having his father's funeral expenses covered. Tis left him with enough money to last at most 10 years unless he could find work. The work he had found meant he could pan that out a little but now he was almost out of money again.

Fortunately he was the only applicant for the position and Dumbledore had been very happy to give him the job. Remus learnt his predecessor had been arrested after he had attempted to wipe Severus Snape's memory of an incident that had happened some time earlier. Something to do with the Chamber of Secrets and concerning Harry Potter although exactly what he didn't know. After getting the DADA job he found out exactly what had happened and was very relieved nobody had been badly hurt. The students who had been petrified were restored to full health and had been given an assessed mark for their year's work.

After taking up the position Remus had asked exactly what had happened and Dumbledore told him almost the full story, saying only that some parts were not for him to explain since innocent people had been caught up in them and it was up to them if they wanted to talk about it.

Dumbledore asked Remus to catch the Hogwarts Express. The Headmaster expected the train may be searched by Dementors and he wanted a teacher on hand to protect the students should this happen. As it turned out he chose the same cabin which Harry Potter and his friends chose. Remus distinctly heard several girls address him as they sat down. Remus thought 'Just like James. Always chasing girls.'

Somewhat earlier than would normally be the case the train started slowing down before coming to an abrupt stop. Then the lights went out. There were a few moments of confusion before Remus decided to take charge. Creating a magical light he was immediately confronted by a dementor.

Harry collapsed and the three girls were on the verge of panicking so Remus cast his Patronus and forced the Dementor away. After making sure no one else was in trouble he returned to the compartment. "It's alright girls," he began. "The reason I am here is to protect the students from the dementors. Dumbledore suspected something like this might happen. Here, eat these." He gave each of them a chocolate frog. "Stay here with Harry while check the other compartments."

When he returned Harry still hadn't regained consciousness. "How is he?" Remus asked the girl nearest Harry.

"Still the same. Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine. I'm Professor Lupin, by the way."

"I'm Tracey Davis," replied the first girl.

"Daphne Greengrass."

"Astoria Greengrass."

At this point Harry stirred. After checking him and giving him a chocolate frog, Remus excused himself from the compartment and, after checking that nobody was in sight, sent his Patronus to Dumbledore to report the incident.

The first two months at Hogwarts generally went well although he was less than impressed to hear that Severus Snape had set an essay on werewolves while he had covered Lupin's class. An event on Halloween, however, changed everything. Sirius Black had managed to get into the castle and all the way to Gryffindor tower undetected. He had then slashed the Fat Lady's portrait when she had refused to let him into the Common Room. Remus assumed Sirius had attacked Gryffindor because he had expected Harry Potter to be a Gryffindor rather than a Slytherin. After that security was tightened and, as far as he knew, Black was now nowhere near the castle.

Soon after Harry Potter had asked him about the Patronus charm, saying he was interested in learning it. Remus told him to think carefully as the Patronus was a very advanced charm that many adult wizards struggled with. Harry seemed determined however so Remus agreed they would meet early in the 2nd term to discuss it.

Christmas holidays were very quiet. Only four students were staying and two of them would be leaving on New Year's Eve. Only nine staff were staying over. Remus was, therefore, surprised when, on the evening of New Year's Eve, there was a knock on his office door.

"Come in," Lupin said.

"Sirius!" Lupin shouted when he saw who was standing there. In the barest fraction of a second Lupin's wand was pointing at him.

"Hello, Remus," Sirius began. "Can we talk before you kill me?" His voice was weak.

"Stay there, Black, and keep your hands where I can see them," Lupin said as he moved toward the fireplace, reaching for the jar of floo powder he kept next to it.

"Remus, please listen. Just give me one minute to explain."

Remus looked at Black and decided it might be safe, although he kept his wand on him. "One minute, then I call Dumbledore."

"I have been sleeping in the Slytherin Common Room for over a week. Harry and Tracey have been feeding me every day. I am not here to hurt Harry; I am here to protect him."

Lupin was shocked. "You've been sleeping here, next to Harry, for over a week?"

"Not exactly. I sleep in the Common Room, Harry sleeps in the dormatories with Tracey sleeping in the bed next to him. They are sharing a room."

Lupin returned to his desk and sat down. "What are you doing here then?"

"Protecting Harry, just like a godfather is supposed to. Remus, Peter is here too. He was James and Lily's secret keeper, he was the one who betrayed them to Voldemort and he's here at Hogwarts pretending to be a pet rat for the Weasley family. I saw him in this picture." Sirius reached into a pocket and produced a picture which he gave Remus. It was the newspaper clipping showing the Weasleys in Egypt. He pointed to the rat sitting on Ron's shoulder.

"What makes you think this is Peter?"

"Look at him," Sirius said in an urgent voice. "I would recognise him anywhere. Look at the rat's foot. He's missing a toe. Wormtail cut it off when he faked his death and framed me."

Remus remembered the largest part of Pettigrew's body that had been found after the explosion had been his finger. Now that he thought about it he realised this had been the only part of Pettigrew to be positively identified.

"Can you prove what you are saying?"

"I can, Remus. The Marauder's Map. Harry either owns it or at least has access to it. With that map I can prove Wormtail is here at Hogwarts, ideally placed to kill Harry if he thinks he could gain from it."

"I see. Don't move, Black, I am going to summon Professor Dumbledore." Remus flicked his wand and a silver wolf erupted from it. After a moment the wolf shot away. He realised he should have done that instead of moving toward the fireplace but the shock of finding himself face to face with Sirius Black meant he wasn't quite thinking straight.

"May I sit down?" Sirius asked. Remus nodded.

Moments later the fireplace burst into life and Professor Dumbledore stepped out pointing his wand directly at Sirius. "What are you doing her, Sirius?" he demanded.

"Professor Dumbledore, I am here to protect my godson from the man who betrayed his parents to Lord Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew. He's here at Hogwarts, living in this castle, eating the school's food, just waiting for a chance to finish the job."

"What proof of this do you have?"

Sirius pointed to the photo on Remus' desk. "Peter is right there in that photo, sitting on that boys shoulder."

"Are you saying that Peter Pettigrew is a rat?"

"Headmaster," Remus said. "I think I need to explain something from my time here as a student. Sirius, along with James and Peter, discovered I was a werewolf. Rather than abandoning me they set about trying to find a way they safely keep me company during the full moon. In our 5th year they managed to become Animagi. Sirius turns into a large dog; the same one, in fact, that several people have met around the school and in the village. I found this out when Sirius told me he has been sleeping in the Slytherin Common Room for the past two weeks."

"You have been sleeping in the castle? In the same place Harry has been sleeping alone?" Dumbledore asked him.

"Yes. Harry and his girlfriend have been feeding me."

"Very well. Continue," Dumbledore said.

"Fudge gave me the paper when he visited Azkaban at the end of July. As he left I heard him say I was more frightening than the dementors. Anyway, when I saw that photo I knew immediately the rat was Peter Pettigrew. I've lost count of the number of times I saw him transform into a rat during our last three years at Hogwarts."

"Why did you attack the Fat Lady's portrait?"

"I am sorry for my actions, Dumbledore, but at the time I wasn't thinking straight. I hadn't had a proper meal for a while and my hunger got the better of me. When I realised what I had done I immediately regretted my actions. I knew I had to leave quickly or I might be killed by the teachers or worse, given to the dementors."

"Can you prove can are right in your accusation?"

"Harry has the proof I need. When we were students here Remus and myself, along with James and Peter, created a detailed map of the castle. It is called the Marauder's Map and it shows in great detail the castle and the locations of everybody in the castle. Harry either has this map or knows who does and borrows it from them every now and then."

"Headmaster," Remus put in. "I propose we allow Sirius to remain in the castle. I will take personal responsibility for him and ensure he behaves himself. When term starts up I can ask Harry about the map and request he returns it to me. Once I have the map we will know for certain if Sirius is telling the truth."

"Very well, Remus, although it is against my better judgement it is probably the most suitable arrangement. I must insist, however, that Sirius does not leave this office and its adjacent classroom."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Sirius said.

Dumbledore had informed Severus Snape that Sirius was the large dog that had been hanging around the castle and that he had the Headmaster's permission to be there. Snape had not been happy and had shown his vindictive nature by placing both Harry and Tracey on detention but that had been out of Remus' hands and he had chosen not to tell Sirius about it.

The first opportunity for Remus to speak to Harry came up early in the new term. After their first DADA class, during which Sirius had sat in the corner and allowed himself to be patted by almost the entire class, Lupin asked Harry and Tracey to stay behind.

"Sit down," Lupin said. They took seats in front of Lupin's desk while Sirius curled up in the corner. "I heard the two of you were asking about werewolves over the holidays. Is that correct?"

"We were just wondering if the reason you were absent so often near the end of the month right be some sort of incurable condition," Tracey began. "Are you telling us you are a werewolf?"

"I am," Lupin replied simply. "Do you know of any other students who have worked this out?"

"No," Harry replied.

"Hermione Granger is very smart," Tracey added. "She may have figured it out, too."

"I'll have to speak to her too then. In the meantime I would appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone," Lupin said. "The staff all know and Professor Snape is making me the Wolfsbane potion which does somewhat mitigate the effects. That is what you saw him giving me that day before Christmas when you were asking about the Patronus charm, Harry."

"Yes, sir," they both said.

"Now there is one more thing I need to ask you about. Do you have the Marauder's Map with you?"

"The what, sir?" Harry asked.

"The Marauder's Map, as presented by Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs," Lupin said.

"No," Harry said. "Fred and George Weasley own it. They only lent it to us briefly last year." Tracey nodded her assent.

"I see," Lupin said, sounding amused. "For your information I know more about the map than either of you two. I'm Moony. I, along with my three closest friends, created it during our fifth year. They too found out about my condition and decided they should do whatever they could to help me for the remainder of our time as students."

Lupin dismissed them. He would see the Weasley twins Thursday afternoon and would get the map at that time.

After that class finished Remus called Fred and George up. He heard some of their fellow students asking them what they had done this time. He smiled; just like the old days.

"Sit down," Remus began. The twins took the indicated seats. "I believe you have in your possession something called the Marauder's Map. Can I see it please?"

The twins looked at each-other. "The Marauders' Map?" Fred.

"Never heard of it." George.

Remus laughed. "For your information I am the man known as Moony and I know all about the map. Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were my friends when I was a student here. We made the map."

The twins were shocked. "Professor Moony?" Fred.

"Is this what you were after?" George said as he pulled the map out of his bag.

"Thank you," Remus began. He tapped the map and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map revealed itself. He looked briefly over it before saying, "Mischief managed. I see it still works perfectly. I think I will keep, however. This map is rather too powerful to be in your hands. No doubt you've used it for all sorts of mischief since you stole it from Filch's office."

The twins shared a look before asking, "Can we borrow it sometime in the future?"

"You'll have to ask its rightful owner, the son of one of the other Marauders. I'm sure he will be willing to let you use it at some point in the future. You may go." The twins left.


	10. 10 Dumbledore

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 10: Dumbledore**

Albus Dumbledore had started the year with his annual problem: finding a DADA teacher. Fortunately this time finding a suitable candidate proved easy although he came with a problem that would need to be kept hidden from the students and, especially, from their parents. Remus Lupin was a werewolf.

Compounding this problem was the fact that Sirius Black, the man responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter, had somehow managed to escape from Azkaban, something Dumbledore had considered impossible. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had been friends when they were at school and although he thought it very unlikely he had to consider the possibility that Lupin would try to help Black in some way.

Professor Snape had made his views of the matter clear the day Lupin's appointment was announced, "Headmaster," Snape began, "I do not think wise that a friend of Black should appointed to teach at Hogwarts. How do we know Lupin won't help Black?"

"Severus, if I thought there was any danger of that happening I would not have appointed Remus Lupin to the position. I am convinced that Remus will not endanger any student of this school. I expect you will assist him with his other problem. You know he is a werewolf and I expect you to brew the wolfsbane potion during his time as a staff member."

"Of course I will," Snape replied sounded aggravated. "You know I would never do anything to endanger a student or a fellow staff member."

A few days before the start of the school year Minister Fudge decided to send the dementors to Hogwarts. Dumbledore opposed the decision but Fudge was determined so, reluctantly, Dumbledore had allowed their presence although he insisted they did not enter the castle or cross beyond the surrounding walls.

Dumbledore asked Remus to catch the Hogwarts Express. He expected the train may be searched by Dementors and he wanted a teacher on hand to protect the students should this happen. It proved to be a wise decision as the train was searched and Harry Potter had been one of the students who had been most severely affected by them. Harry and another boy were seen by Madam Pomfrey before being cleared to return to the feast after the sorting.

The first two months of the year passed quietly although Dumbledore was less than impressed to hear that Snape had set an essay on werewolves while covering for Lupin's DADA class during the full moon. It appeared nobody had joined the dots so to speak so he let it pass with only a reminder to Severus about acting more responsibly.

An event on Halloween, however, changed everything. Sirius Black had managed to get into the castle and all the way to Gryffindor tower undetected. He had then slashed the Fat Lady's portrait when she had refused to let him into the Common Room. Dumbledore assumed Sirius had attacked Gryffindor because he had expected Harry Potter to be a Gryffindor rather than a Slytherin. After that security was tightened and, as far as he knew, Black was now nowhere near the castle.

The first Quidditch match of the season brought new troubles. The weather on the day was appalling with heavy rain, strong wind and, worst of all, thunder and lightning. To make matters worse the dementors chose that day to enter the grounds. They got into the stadium where they caused chaos, terrifying the students and nearly attacking a player who had fallen from his broom. After forcing the dementors away Dumbledore went to the Ministry to demand their removal but Fudge insisted they stay. Reluctantly Dumbledore accepted this but insisted they must never again enter the grounds.

The next week Dumbledore noticed several students sitting with a large dog while they watched the next Quidditch game. The dog seemed very content so he ignored it. He knew many people had reported seeing a stray dog that always seemed friendly and he assumed this must be the animal.

Christmas was unusually quiet. Only four students were staying and two of them would be leaving on New Year's Eve. Only nine staff were staying over. Of those Remus Lupin would be unavailable for part of the holiday due to his condition. It looked like being the quietest Christmas Dumbledore had experienced since he started teaching at Hogwarts some 60 years earlier. He was, therefore, very surprised when Remus Lupin's patronus burst into his office and said, "Sirius Black is in my office. He is claiming Peter Pettigrew is alive and here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore immediately hurried to Lupin's office using the floo network.

When Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace he pointed his wand directly at Sirius. "What are you doing here, Sirius?" he demanded.

"Professor Dumbledore, I am here to protect my godson from the man who betrayed his parents to Lord Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew. He's here at Hogwarts, living in this castle, eating the school's food, just waiting for a chance to finish the job."

"What proof of this do you have?"

Sirius pointed to a photo on Remus' desk. "Peter is right there in that photo, he on that boys shoulder."

"Are you saying that Peter Pettigrew is a rat?"

"Headmaster," Remus said. "I think I need to explain something from my time here as a student. Sirius, along with James and Peter, discovered I was a werewolf. Rather than abandoning me they set about trying to find a way to safely keep me company during the full moon. In our 5th year they managed to become Animagi. Sirius turns into a large dog; the same one, in fact, that several people have met around the school and in the village. I found this out when Sirius told me he has been sleeping in the Slytherin Common Room for the past two weeks."

"You have been sleeping in the castle? In the same place Harry has been sleeping alone?" Dumbledore asked him.

"Yes. Harry and his girlfriend have been feeding me."

"Very well. Continue," Dumbledore said.

"Fudge gave me the paper when he visited Azkaban at the end of July. As he left I heard him say I was more frightening than the dementors. Anyway, when I saw that photo I knew immediately the rat was Peter Pettigrew. I've lost count of the number of times I saw him transform into a rat during our last three years at Hogwarts."

"Why did you attack the Fat Lady's portrait?"

"I am sorry for my actions, Dumbledore, but at the time I wasn't thinking straight. I hadn't had a proper meal for a while and my hunger got the better of me. When I realised what I had done I immediately regretted my actions. I knew I had to leave quickly or I might be killed by the teachers or worse, given to the dementors."

"Can you prove can are right in your accusation?"

"Harry has the proof I need. When we were students here Remus and myself, along with James and Peter created a detailed map of the castle. It is called the Marauder's Map and it shows in great detail the castle and the locations of everybody in the castle. Harry either has this map or knows who does and borrows it from them every now and then."

"Headmaster," Remus put in. "I propose we allow Sirius to remain in the castle. I will take personal responsibility for him and ensure he behaves himself. When term starts up I can ask Harry about the map and request he returns it to me. Once I have the map we will know for certain if Sirius is telling the truth."

"Very well, Remus, although it is against my better judgement it is probably the most suitable arrangement. I must insist, however, that Sirius does not leave this office and its adjacent classroom."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Sirius said.

Dumbledore informed Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall that Sirius was the large dog that had been hanging around the castle and that he had the Headmaster's permission to be there. Neither had not been happy and Snape had shown his vindictive nature by placing both Harry Potter and Tracey Davis on detention.

Lupin then devised a plan to catch Pettigrew which Dumbledore approved. He made sure to ensure that Black was monitored at all times but left Lupin to sort out the fine details of the plan.

It was decided the trap would be sprung during a transfiguration class. Conveniently Gryffindor and Slytherin were paired for this class meaning that all concerned would be present. When the students entered the classroom Professor Dumbledore was sitting next to Professor McGonagall.

"Good afternoon, class. As you can see we have a special guest with us today. Professor Dumbledore will be sitting in on this lesson as we will be learning an important and very useful spell."

Dumbledore could see from the expressions on the students' faces they thought this would be an interesting lesson.

"Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall continued, "do you have your pet rat with you?"

"Yes, Professor," Ron Weasley said, sounding surprised.

"Please place him on my desk." McGonagall indicated the space in front of her. Ron walked to the front with Scabbers seemingly tried to get away from him.

When Ron placed Scabbers on the desk Professor McGonagall pinned the rat in place with her own hand. Scabbers was squeaking frantically as if he was afraid. "What are you doing to him?" Ron demanded.

By way of reply Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at Scabbers who disappeared in a flash of light, being replaced moments later by a man.

"Scabbers?" Ron said in a shocked voice. Every other student in the class let out a gasp of surprise.

"Hello, Peter," Dumbledore began calmly. "You look in remarkably good health for someone who has been dead for 12 years."

Professor McGonagall stunned the man, Peter, who was making a desperate attempt to escape. Peter crashed into the front row of desks where a number of Gryffindors, including Hermione Granger, were seated. They jumped away from him as quickly as they could. For several moments the class was in chaos before the teachers managed to regain control.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall said once order was restored, "this man is an Animagus and the charm Professor Dumbledore demonstrated is called the Homorphus charm. It is used to force an Animagus to resume their human form. The Ministry of Magic keeps a record of all known Animagi in Britain and Ireland but, as you have just seen, not all Animagi register. To be an unregistered Animagus is a criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of one year in Azkaban and a fine of up 1000 Galleons. In the case of this animagus," she pointed to the unconscious man lying on the floor, "he will also be facing a number of more serious charges due to his previous history."

"For your information," Professor Dumbledore put in, "this man is Peter Pettigrew, one of 13 people allegedly murdered by Sirius Black a little over 12 years ago."

"For homework tonight, I want two rolls of parchment on the correct use of the Homorphus charm including what it can and cannot be used for. Mr. Weasley, please stay behind. I wish to speak to you after class. The rest of you are dismissed," McGonagall finished.

Within minutes all the Weasley children were in the classroom; their teachers having been asked to release them at a specific time and to send them there. Dumbledore and McGonagall explained who Pettigrew was and what he had done. When they finished the Weasleys were sent into another room where their parents were waiting. Dumbledore had earlier told Arthur and Molly what was happening and had invited them to join the rest of their family so they could support each other.

With Pettigrew's capture and Sirius being found innocent of almost every charge (except being an unregistered animagus) the dementors were removed from the school. The next problem was ensuring Harry could stay with the Dursleys.

The following Saturday Harry, Sirius and Professor Snape met in Dumbledore's office to discuss Harry's future. "Good afternoon, Harry. Please sit down," Dumbledore said when they entered.

Harry sat in the middle chair facing Dumbledore. Snape and Sirius sat either side of him.

"I have been told you were the person who decided I should be sent to the Dursleys," Harry said. "Sirius has told me he is my guardian and I want to know why I can't stay with him from now on, sir."

"Harry," Dumbledore began. "The protections I put in place on Privet Drive cannot be transferred to another house. They are keyed specifically to your aunt who is your closest living relative. While you call that place your home you are protected far better than you could be anywhere else."

"I can put very high levels of protection in place on my house, Dumbledore, including the Fidelius charm which is something I know Privet Drive doesn't have. Harry will be perfectly safe with me," Sirius said.

"I would not consider Potter or anyone else to be safe with a man who has spent 12 years in Azkaban," Snape said. "At least not alone, anyway."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak but Dumbledore cut him off. "It is not a matter of whether or not Harry would be safe with Sirius. My main concern is and always has been ensuring that he is kept safe from anyone who might want to harm him."

"Then why was I sent to the Dursleys in the first place?" Harry demanded. "They have done nothing to help me since I arrived there."

"Petunia took you in, Harry," Dumbledore said. "In doing so she guaranteed your safety until you were ready to return to the wizarding world. In that respect she has done a great deal to help you."

"Do you consider treating me like a slave to be helpful?"

"Being able to live in the same house as your closest living blood relative, even if the arrangement is not to the liking of either party, is the best thing for you both. Not only are you safe while you live under Petunia's roof but she and her family are safe too. Harry, do you not think that a Death Eater would consider the chance to take a member of your family hostage an opportunity too good to refuse. You may not like them but you need them and they need you."

"Headmaster," Snape said. "Although I agree with you that Potter should remain at the Dursleys and that Black is in no way a suitable guardian, allowing him some leeway may ultimately be to his advantage? Perhaps Potter could stay with Black for a few weeks over summer?"

"What is the minimum amount of time Harry needs to stay with the Dursleys?" Sirius asked. He was watching Snape with a degree of surprise.

Before replying Dumbledore took a moment as if reviewing his options. "It should be about one month, although a shorter period may be sufficient."

"One month. In other words Harry's birthday would be a suitable day to collect him," Sirius said.

"That should be appropriate," Dumbledore said.

Sirius turned to Harry. "I promise you now that, on your birthday, I will personally collect you from the Dursleys and take you to my family home in London. Before that day will ensure I check on your welfare at least once a week with personal visit."

"All right," Harry replied. "I will hold you to that promise, Sirius."

From then until mid-June everything proceeded quietly with no untoward events. Unfortunately, the same day exams ended news came out that Pettigrew had escaped from Azkaban. At Fudge's insistence, and over Dumbledore's strong objections, the dementors returned to Hogwarts. It turned into a complete disaster; not only did the dementors fail to prevent Pettigrew from entering the castle and attacking two teachers but they themselves attacked two students. Dumbledore was surprised to hear Harry Potter had driven them away with a corporeal patronus thus saving the students. Harry had also alerted the Ministry and the staff to Pettigrew's presence but he managed to escape.

It soon became common knowledge that Professor Lupin was a werewolf and Lupin resigned the next day, Sirius Black helping him to pack and then escorting him away with minimal fuss. This was a disappointing way for the year to finish but it couldn't be avoided. Once again Dumbledore knew he would need a new DADA teacher.


	11. Chapter 11 Year 4: Sirius

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

 **Harry Slithers-in: Companion Stories: Chapter 11: Sirius**

Sirius Black had tried his best to return to his old job with the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic but his 10 years in Azkaban had taken a significant toll on him. He was jumpy, nervous and seemed at times to struggle with some of the more complex tasks Aurors were required to undertake. Even having Nymphadora Tonks, the daughter of his favourite cousin, alongside him in the programme hadn't helped, she was a very capable student and would certainly be graduating from the training programme soon but she was clumsy and every time she tripped on something, an event which happened frequently, Sirius became more nervous.

Towards the end of June Sirius was called to Madam Bones' office. "Take a seat, Mr. Black," she said.

Sirius sat down before saying, "I think I know why you've asked me to come in here. I know things haven't been going too well in my rehabilitation programme."

"That is true," Madam Bones replied. "I know you were once a very competent auror but clearly the time you spent in Azkaban has affected you. You seem nervous and jumpy; not exactly the qualities we require for the position. I was wondering if you have any alternative plans should you not make the grade, so to speak."

"I suppose I could go into business for myself. I do have enough money now to not need to work, though, so that might be an option. Find something I can invest in and take it easy."

"Those sound like reasonable options. You have obviously thought about this. From your recent results I believe it may be in your best interests to withdraw from the auror programme. The Ministry has a number of alternative roles that may suit you, however." Madam Bones opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a number of brochures which she handed to Sirius. "Before you make your final decision I would like you to look through these. If you find something that interests you I will happily refer you to the appropriate department with a recommendation that your application be looked upon favourably."

"Thank you, Madam Bones," Sirius said. "I will look them over and talk to a few people I trust. If I do find one that interests me how soon will I be able to speak to the Head of that Department?"

"It won't be until after the World Cup," she replied. "As you know we are flat out at the moment with arrangements and that will remain so until after the final. You will still be paid up until that point, however, out of this Department's funds."

Sirius didn't need the money but the extra Galleons would be handy. He thanked Madam Bones again and returned to his desk where he collected the few items he had brought with him, including the sheaf of tickets for the World Cup Final he had been given as part of the settlement and, after saying goodbye to Tonks and a few others, headed back to Grimmauld Place.

Sirius had not forgotten the promise he made to Harry. The first day he arrived at 4 Privet Drive he learnt that Harry had not told the Dursleys he would be coming.

When Sirius entered Vernon jumped up with a shout and Petunia shrieked, "You, you're a murderer." Dudley looked shocked at his parents' reactions.

"No I'm not," Sirius replied, amused. "Harry obviously didn't tell you I was cleared of all charges at my trial in February."

"It must have slipped my mind," Harry said, trying to hide his amusement.

"Go to your room," Vernon bellowed then, after looking at Sirius, he added "after you've eaten."

"May I take it with me?" Harry asked. "That way Sirius won't have to join us."

"Good idea. Go," Vernon replied. Petunia and Dudley seemed too shocked to speak.

Sirius found this exchange amusing. In Harry's room they talked about how the Dursleys treated him and Harry thanked Sirius for the food parcels. Sirius could now see Harry hadn't been exaggerating when he claimed he wasn't getting enough food.

On Harry's birthday Sirius had arrived as scheduled and taken him to 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family's ancestral home which Sirius had inherited while in Azkaban. Sirius had a number of house guests, notably Tonks and Draco Malfoy. The young Malfoy apparently wanted a break from his family and Sirius had agreed to let him stay a while. Also living there at the time was Remus Lupin. After leaving his position at Hogwarts Remus had been left with nowhere to stay so Sirius had invited him to stay as long as he needed to.

Remus and Draco knew about the mirror phone idea he and Harry had come up with. Draco wanted to finance it as his first step into commercial business while Remus had been invaluable in helping develop them.

Sirius left to bring more people along to Harry's birthday party. Since he was Secret Keeper for Grimmauld Place he had to either bring them personally or pass a handwritten note for them to read. It was easier for him get them since, this way, nobody could accidentally drop the note for some random person to find.

At the party Kreacher showed his lack of respect for Sirius. Draco, in fact, had more control over the elf than anyone else. Sirius knew this was a problem but didn't know how to solve it.

The solution came in an unexpected way. Shortly before they were to leave for the World Cup Harry showed Sirius a locket he had found. The locket was clearly Salazar Slytherin's personal locket and was hugely valuable but Harry told him it seemed cursed. The discussion that followed showed Kreacher knew about it and that Sirius' brother Regulus had told Kreacher to destroy it days before his own death. Harry had an idea for how to destroy it. Apparently a similar item, a diary, had been found at Hogwarts a little over a year earlier and Harry had received the same reaction from that as he had gotten from the locket. It was Harry's offer to help Kreacher destroy the locket that finally won him over.

Harry had a basilisk fang in his trunk; a souvenir from the expedition to the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts; a secret room that Salazar Slytherin had built without the knowledge of the other founders. He retrieved this and gave it to Kreacher with instructions to stab the locket once Harry had opened it. Since then Kreacher had been totally loyal not only to Sirius but to Harry as well.

At the World Cup the Bulgarians had brought Veela as their mascots. Sirius realised this straight away and managed to resist them powerful charm magic but many of the younger males weren't so lucky. Harry seemed especially entranced by them but before Sirius could intervene Tracey Davis had grabbed his arm and slapped him. Sirius tried not to laugh at the look on Harry's face.

The World Cup Final was an exciting match with Ireland winning despite Krum catching the snitch for Bulgaria. At the presentations afterward it was obvious the Irish seeker, Lynch, had suffered a severe concussion while Krum had a broken nose. Both players would need treatment for their injuries.

After the match a riot broke out in the campgrounds. Sirius joined the Ministry staff in trying to control the situation but then the Dark Mark appeared over the nearby forest. Sirius, along with many Ministry staff including Janet Davis and Arthur Weasley, apparated directly to the scene but all they found were two terrified teenagers; Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"Ron, tell us what happened," Mr. Weasley asked.

"The Dark Mark came from over there," Ron replied, pointing into some nearby trees.

Several Ministry officials hurried off to look but most remained where they were, including a man who now addressed Harry and the others. "Which one of you did it?" he demanded.

"Barty," Mrs. Davis said. "These are children, and they've told us where they think the spell came from."

A man called from a short distance away. "We got him. There's someone here but… blimey it's an elf."

A man Sirius knew to be Amos Diggory entered the clearing carrying a house elf. He placed it on the ground. Immediately, Hermione said, "We heard a human voice, not an elf's, and certainly not a female elf."

Mr. Crouch looked at the elf in shock. "No, it cannot be," he said before dashing off to look where they had found her.

"Well, that's embarrassing isn't it," Sirius said. "The man who sent me to Azkaban without a trial now finds himself in potentially the same boat."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked. By now he, along with Hermione, were sitting on the ground.

"This is Barty Crouch's house elf, Winky, and she is accused of casting the Dark Mark," Sirius explained.

"Don't be silly," Hermione said. "To cast the spell you need a wand."

"She had a wand," Mr. Diggory said, still glaring at the unconscious elf. He produced a wand to show the others just as Crouch re-entered the clearing, a look of shock and anger on his face.

"Find anyone, Barty?" asked one of the others.

"No. It must have been her."

"Can anyone prove she cast the spell? I am well aware how much damage baseless accusations can do to innocent people," said Mr. Weasley eyeing Sirius as he spoke.

"We can check the wand," Mr. Diggory said. He touched his own wand to one on the ground and said "Priori Incantatem," a much smaller reflection of the Mark hanging in the air above them emerged from the wand.

"That only proves the wand cast the spell, not who was holding it," Sirius said.

"Hey, that's my wand," Ron suddenly said.

"You did this," shouted Crouch, pointing his wand at Ron.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sirius yelled. "We already know the spell was cast from over there." He pointed in the direction Winky was brought in from. "Remember what happened the last time you falsely accused someone of something they didn't do?"

"Are you threatening me, Black?" Crouch yelled back.

"Yes I am," Sirius replied. "I'm threatening to have you arrested…"

"ENOUGH," Mr. Weasley shouted over Sirius. "Both of you, calm down."

Everybody quietened down. One of the Ministry officials revived Winky who sat up, looking scared.

Just then Madam Bones and Ludo Bagman apparated into the clearing. Bagman appeared very flustered.

"I have just been informed the Dark Mark has been cast from this location. Tell me what has happened," Madam Bones demanded.

"We caught a suspect," Crouch informed her, pointing at Ron.

"A child?" she sounded incredulous.

"Don't be ridiculous, we know it wasn't Ron or Hermione, either," Mr. Weasley said.

"Whoever cast the spell used Ron's wand and then disapparated before we got here, leaving the wand behind," Sirius explained.

"What about the elf?" Madam Bones asked, pointing to Winky.

"We found her with the wand," Sirius said. "Just a case of wrong place, wrong time I think."

"Very well. We will start a full enquiry. For now let's get all the families reunited. Arthur, since this is your son I will leave you in charge here while the rest of you get going," Madam Bones said.

"Sirius, we saw Harry back there with Tracey and her brother. They were safe and asked us if we would join them, but Draco Malfoy was there too so we didn't stay," Hermione explained as she and Ron stood up and joined Mr. Weasley.

After these events Sirius was asked to stay on at the Ministry until the World Cup fiasco had been sorted. Two weeks later the hype had died down and no new evidence had come to light so he was released. This allowed him to get back to work trying to perfect the mirror phones.

Harry, along with Tracey and Robert Davis had stayed at Grimmauld Place for the rest of the holidays. On the day they went to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies they had been joined by the Greengrass family and Mrs. Greengrass had helped them sort their new dress robes, something Sirius was very happy about since he hated clothes shopping.

From then on Sirius split his time between working on the mirrors and keeping up with Harry's school record. During the first week Harry called him asking about Mad-Eye Moody, the new DADA teacher. Sirius explained about Moody's history and why he seemed to hate Draco especially. Harry also mentioned Moody had demonstrated the Unforgivable Curses. Although Sirius didn't let on this news made him feel uncomfortable.

Worse was to come, however. Somehow Harry's name was drawn out of the Goblet of Fire forcing him to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Sirius decided he needed to keep a closer eye on things and, after arguing with Dumbledore about Harry being forced to compete, he asked if he could stay at Hogwarts so as to keep a closer eye on things. He was granted one of the guest rooms usually reserved for visiting dignitaries in the staff dormitory from which he would be in a much better position to support Harry.

Together with Harry and Tracey they came up with a strategy which should give Harry the best possible chance of survival in the first task, which was getting past a dragon, but Sirius was still unhappy. He wished Harry the best, however, and told he would be there watching the whole time.


End file.
